MN: Legalize It? Liebling Says Let Voters Decide

[Ron Strider]

A measure to legalize recreational marijuana in Minnesota would be put on the ballot in 2018 under a bill introduced on Saturday by a Rochester lawmaker.

DFL Rep. Tina Liebling is sponsoring the measure, which proposes a constitutional amendment to allow people age 21 and older to buy and grow marijuana for personal use.

"The time for this has come. Eight states are already doing this, so it's no longer a fringe thing that no one can imagine happening," she said.

Liebling introduced the bill with only a couple of days left in the regular 2017 legislative session. She said she has spent months putting together a detailed proposal outlining how legalization could be done in the state. She introduced the bill to encourage discussion about the issue ahead of next session.

"It's time to get the conversation going," she said.

Liebling is also one of several Democrats running for governor in 2018. Her support for legalizing cannabis is one of the issues detailed on her campaign website.

If voters approved the constitutional amendment, a new state department – the Bureau of Cannabis Oversight – would be established to oversee recreational cannabis use. A system would be set up where individuals could get a license to sell cannabis and cannabis products. It would also allow residents to grow up to six mature marijuana plants and six immature plants. It would not make any changes to the state's existing medical marijuana program. Her bill has 12 co-sponsors – all Democrats.

Rep. Greg Davids, R-Preston, said he doesn't think Liebling's idea will get far in the Republican-led House. He said there might be a couple of Republicans who would be willing to support it, but the vast majority would oppose it. He is among those who would fight it.

"I have always been adamantly opposed to such a bill. I would fight it very, very hard. I think in the states that have done this, it's been a disaster," Davids said.

Liebling acknowledged it is unlikely her bill will win the support needed to pass next year, but she wants lawmakers to start thinking about the issue. She said Minnesotans spend an estimated $700 million a year on marijuana sold on the black market. She added that recent research has shown that in states where marijuana is legal they have seen a drop in opioid deaths. Nonetheless, she said cannabis is not harmless, and her bill is aimed at trying to provide protections so that young people do not have access to it.

She added, "It's trying to balance individual liberty with the need to have some consumer protection."

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[GanjaGed]

Considering what they've done with our Medical Program out here, this is actually kinda frightening, lol.

 

[JOEH3]

I agree... medical pot MN is a ridiculous joke! I would hope this will be more thought out.

 

[Mayday54]

I would hope that Minnesota can get their Medical and recreational in line before the date of possible legalization comes due as it is looming in CA on 1/1/2018... State (CA) is scrambling to get the medical and recreational side in step with each other for all aspects and is running out of time...

 

[Big Sur]

I would not consider weed a disaster in any state that has legalized it. Where are the facts to support that claim? What a joke. About like the governor in VT vetoing legal rec weed. Tax revenues are all good, and there are no statistics to support that it leads to negative results like increased auto accidents and child death. But they pour on the religious and self righteous fear factor thick and heavy! Its right out of REEFER MADNESS!

As for merging medical and rec, that is an ongoing process. I think it was a mistake in CA to disband medical all at once, but that is what was passed in Prop 64. Oregon is slowly but surely doing away with medical as well, even though they were to remain separate in Measure 91. We also remain a highly split state, with many counties banning the growing and sale of rec weed, representing well over half the state's geographical area. Its all mired in slimy mud slinging politics, which is defiantly tearing this country apart. I say good luck MN.

 

[GanjaGed]

Realize I'm talking disaster as a State Program, but even saying that, Mn Medical isn't what one would call patient friendly. So in context the fact to support the claim is that we LOST $11 million dollars on the program over the last 2 years. Yes, that's right, Mn has figured out how to lose money selling pot /facepalm... Oh yea and we have no home grow, no whole plant of any style, and if you're dying in less than a year and are in terrible pain, you can get a card.. Ok that last part is a bit of an overstatement, lol.

No State is going to not have a Medical program while it remains schedule 1. The only protection the States have is by Congress through the budget and it only protects Medical use.

I'm actually not to upset about the Va Gov. Yea it sucks he vetoed it but he had 3 specific areas he was opposed to, actually it was sentencing issues, and he has shown a willingness to work with the legislature and get the bill passed. If he does as he says I personally have no problems, he's doing what a governor should do.

We need the luck! We are now in talks with Iowa to have their patients buy at the Mn. Dispensaries. So if and when they approve that shit we'll see how hard the Fed comes crashing down on us for legalizing inter-state trafficking.

It HAS to be the lutefisk, rofl