The Minnesota House is set to debate and vote Monday on a 300-page bill that would legalize marijuana for recreational use.
The proposal would create a new state Office of Cannabis Management, tasked with oversight. The law would allow people 21 and older to buy, sell – if approved for state business licenses – and use marijuana.
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It would also automatically expunge low-level cannabis convictions and set up an expungement board to consider felony offenses.
There was a bill in 2021 that passed the House, where Democrats held a majority, but went nowhere in the GOP-led Senate. Now, lawmakers are near a vote in that chamber with a final committee stop expected this week.
The legislation this session is the culmination of hours of testimony and changes from its original drafting – it received 16 committee hearings, which is more than typical.
Advocates have been pushing for legalization for years. If it passes, Minnesota would join 21 other states that have taken the same step. Marijuana is still a Schedule I drug that is illegal at the federal level.
Monday’s floor session begins at 11:30 a.m., though debate and a vote will likely happen later in the day.
