The Minnesota Senate on Friday passed Lindsey Port’s marijuana legalization bill. The vote was 34-33 with all Democrats voting yes and Republicans going the other way.
The Friday vote came days after its companion version passed the House 71-59. Now, a House-Senate conference committee will resolve the differences before final votes in each chamber.
“The prohibition of cannabis is a failed system that has not achieved the desired goals and has had incredible costs for our communities, especially for communities of color,” Lindsey Port, a Democrat, said on the floor.
She and her fellow colleagues were wearing green jackets at Friday’s vote. Port said that marijuana legalization is an opportunity for new markets.
“We have an opportunity today to vote green to undo some of the harm that has been done and create a unique system of regulation that works for Minnesota consumers and businesses, while ensuring an opportunity in this new market for communities that have been most affected by prohibition.”
Minnesota’s governor, Tim Waz, is a Democrat. He pledged to sign the bill once it reaches his desk. The bill aims to replace the illegal market for marijuana with a legal and regulated one. It will also remove all criminal records of residents who have been convicted of non-violent offenses.
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“Minnesotans deserve the freedom and the respect to make their own decisions about cannabis use. Our current laws have failed,” Zack Stephenson, the author for the House bill, said on Tuesday.
Republican senators on Friday argued that the bill needs more work. They noted that marijuana legalization will impact traffic safety and crime. They added that it will lead to crime, addiction and mental health issues.
“We’re opening a door that is going to be very difficult to close, and it’s going to be very difficult to put the genie back on the bottle once this occurs,” Republican Warren Limmer, said.
