Minnesota’s Governor Wants People To Sign A Marijuana Petition Asking Lawmakers To Put Legalization On His Desk

The governor of Minnesota is calling on supporters to join lawmakers and the administration in their push legalize marijuana this session, circulating an email blast on Friday that encourages people to sign a petition backing the reform.

With the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party in control of the House, Senate and governorship following last year’s election, cannabis legalization has become an especially hot topic in Minnesota, with legislators gearing up to advance the issue with Gov. Tim Walz’s (D) proactive support.

On Thursday, lawmakers unveiled a revised legalization bill, which builds on a reform bill that passed the House after going through upwards of a dozen committees in 2021. Former House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (D) championed that legislation, and he’s now serving as chairman of an advocacy coalition focused on cannabis reform.

Walz, meanwhile, has been pushing the legislature to move ahead with legalization—and he’s leveraging the recent momentum to build additional support as lawmakers prepare to enact the policy change.

As part of that effort, the governor sent out an email blast that begins by saying that “Minnesota’s current cannabis laws are doing more harm than good.”

“It’s time for us to follow common sense and harness the proven benefits of legalizing adult-use cannabis—from expanding our economy, improving our criminal justice system, creating good-paying jobs across our state, and creating more space for law enforcement to focus on violent crime,” the email says.

Walz’s message mentions the newly unveiled legalization bill that’s being sponsored by Rep. Zack Stephenson (D) and Sen. Lindsey Port (D) in their respective chambers. It then directs people to sign an online petition if they agree that “Minnesotans deserve the freedom to make responsible decisions about cannabis use themselves.”

The email and petition, of course, also serve a campaign fundraising goal of generating contact information from potential donors. But it’s also another signal that the governor sees opportunity to finally end prohibition in Minnesota with the Democratic majorities in place.

Winkler told Marijuana Moment in a phone interview on Friday that the governor’s early and proactive support is “critically important” to this process, and advocates have a “high degree of confidence” that “this bill is something he is ready to sign.”

“Obviously, that’s all subject to change and revision,” he said. “But as a baseline product, we are ready to go in the House and Senate, and with the governor, because of the work that was done.”

Thank you, @Tim_Walz! #mnisready#mnlegpic.twitter.com/pnjzr5ZMe9

— Ryan Winkler (@_RyanWinkler) January 6, 2023

The new reform bill is already scheduled for a Wednesday hearing in the House Commerce Committee, which the measure’s sponsor Stephenson chairs. The expectation is that it will move through a multitude of committee stops before reaching the floor, as was the case for Winkler’s earlier version that ultimately stalled in the GOP-controlled Senate.

Much of the revised bill is consistent with Winkler’s legislation, though there are a few key changes. For example, it adds a new license category for businesses that sell “lower-potency edible products” under Minnesota’s unique THC law that the governor signed last year.

There would also be reduced regulatory requirements for those licensees, and they’d be able to permit on-site consumption if they have a liquor license, which is meant to ensure that shops currently selling low-THC beverages and edibles don’t face disruption.

“I think the three years of work that went into passing House File 600 in 2021 makes it possible to get this done in 2023,” Winkler told Marijuana Moment. “With a new majority in the state Senate and the need to address a budget in a short amount of time, I think it would not be possible to pass cannabis legalization” without laying that groundwork.

Here are the main components of the revised marijuana legalization bill:

Adults 21 and older could purchase up to two ounces of cannabis and cultivate up to eight plants, four of which could be mature.

They could possess up to two ounces in a public place and up to five pounds in a private dwelling.

Gifting up to two ounces of marijuana without remuneration between adults would be permitted.

It would promote social equity, in part by ensuring that diverse licensing by scoring equity applicants higher.

Prior marijuana records would also be automatically expunged. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension would be responsible for identifying people who are eligible for relief and process the expungements.

In addition to creating a system of licensed cannabis businesses, municipalities and counties could own and operate government dispensaries.

On-site consumption permits could be approved for events, and cannabis delivery services would be permitted under the bill.

Unlike in many legal states, local municipalities would be banned from prohibiting marijuana businesses from operating in their areas, though they could set “reasonable” regulations on the time of operation and location of those businesses.

Retail cannabis sales would be taxed at eight percent. Part of that revenue would fund substance misuse treatment programs, as well as grants to support farmers.

A new Office of Cannabis Management would be established, and it would be responsible for regulating the market and issuing cannabis business licenses. There would be a designated Division of Social Equity.

People living in low-income neighborhoods and military veterans who lost honorable status due to a cannabis-related offense would be considered social equity applicants eligible for priority licensing.

The legislation as revised fixes an issue in current statute that prohibits liquor stores from selling THC products.

It also contains language banning synthetic cannabinoids, which is consistent with Board of Pharmacy rules put into place last year.

—Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.—

Lawmakers and the governor have expressed optimism about the prospects of legalization in the upcoming session, especially with Democrats in control of both chambers.

Following their election win in November, Democrats internally agreed to discuss the issue in short order.

House Speaker Melissa Hortman (D) said recently that she expects cannabis reform to be included in the governor’s forthcoming budget request, though she reiterated that the reform “will take a long time” to move through the legislature.

While marijuana reform was excluded from a list of legislative priorities that Democrats unveiled on Tuesday, Hortman said that the issue is “a priority,” albeit a “very big, complicated.”

The governor included funding for implementing legalization in his last executive budget request, but lawmakers were unable to enact the policy change. He and Hortman have differing opinions about how quickly the issue can advance this session, however, with Walz recently saying it would be done “by May.”

Winkler, for his part, said that he does think “it is likely that [passing legalization] will be done by May.”

“The reason is that the legislature adjourns until next year at the end of May, and so if they don’t do it in that timeline, it’ll take another full year—and I don’t think anything will be improved or bettered by waiting,” he said. “So it’s in everyone’s interest to get this bill passed.”

“There’s a lot of work to be done before implementation, and I think waiting another year only makes people feel more anxiety about his ultimate passage and doesn’t help anything,” he said.

Two polls released in September found that the majority of Minnesota residents support adult-use marijuana legalization—and one survey showed that even more Minnesotans approve of the state’s move to legalize THC-infused edibles that was enacted earlier this year.

A survey conducted by officials with the House at the annual State Fair that was released in September also found majority support for legalization. That legislature-run poll found that 61 percent of Minnesotans back legalizing cannabis for adult use.

Support was up this year from 58 percent when the House Public Information Services polled fair goers on the issue last year. In 2019, the House poll found 56 percent support for legalization.

Read the full text of the governor’s marijuana legalization email blast below: 

Hi [FIRST NAME]

Minnesota’s current cannabis laws are doing more harm than good.

It’s time for us to follow common sense and harness the proven benefits of legalizing adult-use cannabis—from expanding our economy, improving our criminal justice system, creating good-paying jobs across our state, and creating more space for law enforcement to focus on violent crime.

That’s why Lt. Governor Flanagan and I are calling on the legislature to fund the safe and responsible legalization of adult-use cannabis in Minnesota. Just yesterday, DFL legislators introduced legislation to get it done, and I’m asking you to help us keep the pressure on.

Add your name to send the unmistakable message that Minnesota is ready to legalize adult-use cannabis and expunge cannabis conviction:

This legislation would give us the tools to tax and regulate adult-use cannabis in Minnesota, improve our existing medical cannabis program, offer grants to promote equity and fairness in the legal cannabis market, and fund a statewide education campaign to promote safe consumption.

[FIRST NAME], if there’s any state that can do this right, it’s Minnesota. There’s no reason for us to get left behind.

If you agree that Minnesotans deserve the freedom to make responsible decisions about cannabis use themselves, click here to sign on and make your voice heard: Legalize adult-use cannabis.

Let’s get this to my desk. I’m ready to sign it.

I’m grateful,

Tim Walz

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Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan.

Minnesota’s Outgoing House Majority Leader Will Lead Push To Legalize Marijuana In 2023 With Revised Bill

A coalition of Minnesota activists announced on Thursday that they’ve launched the next phase of a campaign to legalize marijuana in the state, which includes grassroots advocacy and lobbying lawmakers to pass a revised reform bill that advanced through the House last year.

Outgoing House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (D) sponsored that legislation, and he’s now joining the coalition as campaign chairman, MN is Ready said in a press release.

We're excited to announce the next phase of the MN is Ready campaign that will push for the passage of a comprehensive adult-use cannabis legalization bill in 2023 that prioritizes safety, equity, and Minnesota businesses. #mnisready

LEARN MORE: https://t.co/7mKDNjfzilpic.twitter.com/L23AWQb1Cc

— MN is Ready (@mnisready) December 29, 2022

The group—which consists of industry stakeholders and community activists from across the state—said it will be launching a 501(c)(4) called MN is Ready Action as the new legislative session begins, which will see the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party holding majorities in both the House and Senate, as well as the governor’s office.

“We know that the majority of Minnesotans agree that it’s time to legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis,” Winkler said. “The bill we passed in the House in 2021 went through more than a dozen committees and has since been updated and is ready for reintroduction. I’m confident it’s the right bill and the right time. Minnesota is ready for full legalization.”

I am excited to lead the campaign for cannabis legalization in MN—we need to get this done in 2023! #mnleg#MNisReadyhttps://t.co/qIhaJSIF06

— Ryan Winkler (@_RyanWinkler) December 29, 2022

The House-approved legislation, which ultimately stalled in the Senate under GOP control, called for allowing adults 21 and older to purchase and possess up to 1.5 ounces of marijuana and grow up to eight plants for personal use. Winkler called it the “best legalization bill in the country” at the time.

Leili Fatehi, campaign manager for MN is Ready, told Marijuana Moment on Thursday that the new bill that they’ll be pushing for in 2023 is very similar to last session’s, but includes key revisions—such as adding a license category for businesses that sell “lower-potency edible products” under Minnesota’s unique THC law that the governor signed earlier this year.

There would be reduced regulatory requirements for those licensees, and they’d be able to permit on-site consumption if they have a liquor license, which is meant to ensure that shops currently selling low-THC beverages and edibles don’t face disruption.

Also, the revised bill fixes an issue in current statute that prohibits liquor stores from selling THC products. The criminal penalties section of the legislation was simplified to clear up confusion, and the bill now contains language banning synthetic cannabinoids, which is consistent with Board of Pharmacy rules put into place earlier this year.

“What we saw in this year’s election was a coalescence and commitment by the House and Senate majorities to make legalization a reality,” Fatehi said in a press release. “There is an unquestionable mandate from Minnesota voters.”

Lawmakers and Gov. Tim Walz (D) have expressed optimism about the prospects of legalization in the upcoming session, especially with Democrats in control of both chambers.

House Speaker Melissa Hortman (D) said recently that she expects cannabis reform to be included in the governor’s forthcoming budget request, though she reiterated that the reform “will take a long time” to move through the legislature.

The governor included funding for implementing legalization in his executive budget request this year, but lawmakers were unable to enact the policy change. He and Hortman have differing opinions about how quickly the issue can advance this next session, however, with Walz recently saying it would be done “by May,” while the speaker has made clear she feels it will take longer.

Walz has described the issue as a top priority that he hopes to see advance in the legislature as “one of the first items” to reach his desk in the 2023 session.

It seems likely that the governor will address the reform in his budget request, but it’s unclear if he will go further than simply calling for implementation funding this round by including a comprehensive legislative proposal to enact legalization itself.

Following their election win last month, Democrats internally agreed to discuss the issue in short order. But the speaker said recently in a separate interview that she felt legalization “may well happen in the next two-year period,” a much broader timeline compared to the governor’s projection.

State Sen. Sen. Nick Frentz (D), an assistant leader in the new DFL Senate majority, said that he believes legalization “will pass this session,” though he agrees with the speaker that “there’s a question of timing.”

Two polls released in September found that the majority of Minnesota residents support adult-use marijuana legalization—and one survey showed that even more Minnesotans approve of the state’s move to legalize THC-infused edibles that was enacted earlier this year.

A survey conducted by officials with the House at the annual State Fair that was released in September also found majority support for legalization. That legislature-run poll found that 61 percent of Minnesotans back legalizing cannabis for adult use.

Support was up this year from 58 percent when the House Public Information Services polled fair goers on the issue last year. In 2019, the House poll found 56 percent support for legalization.

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Minnesota Marijuana Reform Could ‘Move Forward’ In Special Session That Just Launched, Top Lawmaker Says

Even though a Minnesota House-passed marijuana legalization bill died in the Senate without action by the end of this year’s regular session, a top lawmaker says there’s still a “possibility to move forward” on cannabis reform as part of a special session that began this week.

“Nobody really expected the medical program to be so successfully changed this year,” House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (D) said at a rally with cannabis reform advocates on Wednesday, referencing a separate measure Gov. Tim Walz (D) signed last month that will allow patients to access smokable cannabis products.

According to The Star Tribune, Winkler added that “surprising things can happen” during a special session. “When you see Republican support and Democratic support in the House and Senate, there is a possibility to move forward.”

Photos from today’s emergency rally at the Capitol 📸

Thank you to House Majority Leader @_RyanWinkler, Sen. @ScottDibble, Rep. @jeremymunson, and Sen. @jimabeler for speaking and advocating for the decriminalization of cannabis in Minnesota. #mnisready for change! pic.twitter.com/c5T1ffqSuy

— Minnesotans for Responsible Marijuana Regulation (@mnisready) June 16, 2021

Advocates with Minnesota NORML are pushing for several specific policies to be incorporated into legislation that is set to be taken up by the legislature during the special session. The first is to expand the state’s decriminalization policy, and the second is to have the state petition for a federal exemption for Minnesota’s medical cannabis program.

Part of the motivation behind that latter proposal is to ensure that registered patients are able to lawfully purchase and possess firearms in spite of federal restrictions.

At the rally, which was organized by NORML, Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition (RAMP) and other groups, Winkler and several other lawmakers spoke in favor of modest policy changes such as decriminalizing cannabis.

“Decriminalizing small amounts is important,” Rep. Jeremy Munson (R), one of only a handful of Republicans who voted for Winkler’s broad adult-use legalization bill, said at the rally. “If someone in Minnesota gets caught with two gummy bears, it’s a felony and they’ll lose their gun rights forever.”

The coalition proposed several key reforms that they say should be integrated into public safety and health legislation that’s currently moving through committee during the special session:

-Further reduce penalties for simple possession of marijuana.

-Allow people convicted of possession up to eight grams of cannabis to petition the courts for expungement.

-Require the Minnesota health commissioner to petition the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for an exemption for its medical marijuana program.

”Reducing or eliminating the criminal penalties we’re seeing around marijuana is where we have consensus,” Thomas Gallagher of RAMP said in a press release. “Let’s focus on the people who have small quantities. There is injustice in a trivial amount of marijuana resulting in life-changing punishments like imprisonment, criminal records, and lost jobs and kids.”

Rally for Our Special Session Agenda: 1. Decrim law reform: reduce penalties for concentrates & ensure a petty is not a crime in fed court. 2. Medical reform: Require Minn to petition for a fed exemption fr Schedule 1 for Minn's Med Cannabis patients.https://t.co/9S8Vwz4yoB

— Minnesota NORML (@MNNORML) June 15, 2021

Similar to the Minnesota activists’ call, Iowa officials have requested that federal agencies guarantee some level of protection for people participating in the state’s medical marijuana program.

The Hawaii legislature adopted a resolution in April seeking an exemption from DEA stipulating that the state is permitted to run its medical cannabis program without federal interference.

Back in Minnesota, the House approved a bill last month to legalize marijuana for recreational use following 12 committee assignments. That legislation stalled in the GOP-controlled Senate, however.

Advocates are hopeful about the possibility that further cannabis reforms could be accomplished in the special session, but they see an obstacle in Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R), who has been relatively silent on the issue since the end of the regular session.

He did previously say, however, that “we’re always said we were open to lowering the criminal penalties [for marijuana].”

The decriminalization legislation that advocates are rallying behind would make possession of up to eight grams of cannabis a petty misdemeanor. It would also make people with prior convictions for that level of possession eligible for expungements.

Under the separate medical cannabis expansion bill that the governor has signed, adults 21 and older will be able to access smokable marijuana products. That policy must take effect by March 1, 2022, or earlier if rules are developed and the state’s cannabis commissioner authorizes it.

Dispensaries could also provide a curbside pickup option for patients under the new law. It further removes restrictions for designated caregivers and allows them to tend to six registered patients at once, rather than just one.

Walz, who hadn’t been especially vocal about legalization as the broader legislation advanced during the regulator session, said, “I’ve thought for a long time about that,” adding that “we know that adults can make their own decisions on things, we know that criminalization and prohibition has not worked.”

“I’ve always thought that it makes sense to control how you’re doing this and to make sure that adults know what they’re getting into, and use it wisely,” he said. “I also think there’s a lot of inequity about how folks have spent time in jail or been arrested around this, especially in communities of color.”

The majority leader’s legalization legislation as introduced was identical to a proposal he filed last year, with some minor technical changes. Winkler, who led a statewide listening to gather public input ahead of the measure’s introduction, called it the “best legalization bill in the country” at the time. It did not advance in that session, however.

Under the measure, social equity would be prioritized, in part by ensuring diverse licensing and preventing the market from being monopolized by corporate players. Prior marijuana records would also be automatically expunged.

Walz in January he called on lawmakers to pursue the reform as a means to boost the economy and promote racial justice. He did not include a request to legalize through his budget proposal, however.

The governor did say in 2019 that he was directing state agencies to prepare to implement reform in anticipation of legalization passing.

Winkler, meanwhile, said in December that if Senate Republicans don’t go along with the policy change legislatively, he said he hopes they will at least let voters decide on cannabis as a 2022 ballot measure.

Heading into the 2020 election, Democrats believed they had a shot of taking control of the Senate, but that didn’t happen. The result appears to be partly due to the fact that candidates from marijuana-focused parties in the state earned a sizable share of votes that may have otherwise gone to Democrats, perhaps inadvertently hurting the chances of reform passing.

In December, the Minnesota House Select Committee On Racial Justice adopted a report that broadly details race-based disparities in criminal enforcement and recommends a series of policy changes, including marijuana decriminalization and expungements.

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Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer.