As a new poll shows strong majority support for legalization in Minnesota, bipartisan and bicameral lawmakers held their first conference committee meeting on Friday, resolving mostly modest differences between marijuana legalization bills that passed the House and Senate last month, while leaving larger distinctions on issues like tax policy for another day.
Rep. Zack Stephenson (D), sponsor of the House version, announced the meeting on Wednesday, saying legislators “are making great progress” in informal discussions ahead of the meeting. He and Sen. Lindsey Port (D), the Senate bill sponsor, are “excited to finish the job,” he said.
At Friday’s panel session, members reached an agreement on several articles of the bill and also adopted mostly technical amendments concerning the legislation’s definition of marijuana and temporary regulations on hemp-derived cannabinoid products.
Today the conference committee on HF100 adopted four articles of the bill. They were:
Article 3 – Economic Development
Article 6 – Misc Provisions
Article 7 – Temporary Regulations
Article 8 – Scheduling— Zack Stephenson (@zackstephenson) May 12, 2023
“Minnesotans want cannabis to be legalized. Minnesotans are ready for this change,” Stephenson said. “Our laws are doing more harm than good. And every day we leave them in place, more harm is done, so we are going to deliver this bill for the people of Minnesota this year.”
While the bills were identical as…
