Minnesota is on the cusp of joining nearly two dozen other states that have legalized recreational marijuana for adults.
The DFL-controlled House debated the marijuana bill late into the night on Monday, eventually tabling the measure with the intention of voting on it Tuesday. The Senate is scheduled to vote on the bill Friday.
“This is a historic day for Minnesotans who have been waiting for cannabis legalization for many, many years. We’re going to get the job done,” said state Rep. Zack Stephenson, DFL-Coon Rapids, the House bill’s sponsor.
If approved, the House and Senate bills contain differences that will have to be reconciled in a conference committee. The final compromise bill would then need one last vote before heading to DFL Gov. Tim Walz, who supports legalizing marijuana.
State lawmakers face a May 22 deadline to finish their work.
House Democrats previously passed a marijuana legalization bill in 2021, but Republicans who controlled the Senate at the time refused to act on the measure.
Some GOP support
Republicans in the House expressed reservations about the marijuana bill during a news conference Monday morning, but some members said they would vote for it.
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