Not if, but when: Democratic legislators outline plan to legalize recreational marijuana in Minnesota
Cannabis is displayed at Essence Vegas Cannabis Dispensary before the midnight start of recreational marijuana sales on June 30, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Tuesday morning, a group of Minnesota lawmakers outlined plans to legalize recreational marijuana.
For Democratic House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler, it’s a top priority this upcoming session. He says it is not a matter of if cannabis will be legal, but when.
“Legalization is going to happen in Minnesota and the question is whether it happens this year, next year, the year after…the change is coming,” he said. “And we are preparing for that change.”
Ahead of the 2020 legislative session, Winkler revealed the groundwork for a bill legalizing recreational marijuana.
“The cannabis legal system that we have today is a failure and the message is that we need to figure out how to move on from that,” he said.
The cannabis bill came after house Democrats held more than a dozen town halls across the state.
“It was really stunning and surprising how many people that you traditionally wouldn’t think would be behind this bill that were,” said Jeff Hayden, the assistant majority leader.
Among a number of issues, the legislation addresses criminal justice inequities. Rep. Winkler says that they want to create a system where cannabis is taxed and regulated.
“It will be a bill that represents the best step forward for Minnesota and should be the best legalization bill in the country to date,” said Winkler.
Reaching that point, however, won’t come without its hurdles.
“Sen. Gazelka and Sen. Limmer can fold their arms and say no, they don’t want to hear it, but the people of Minnesota will roll over them eventually on issues like this. And so they can decide to be speed bumps, or they can decide to be active participants in crafting policy,” Winkler added.
A senate committee killed a legalization bill last session. Right now, recreational marijuana is legal in 11 states.
Winkler says the new bill could go through nearly two dozen committees. It’s a process he says that could take more than a year.