The legality of medical and recreational cannabis has been a pressing issue for Minnesotan citizens long before to the Minnesota midterm election on Nov. 8.
According to a State Fair poll from the summer, 61.4% of participating Minnesotans want there to be complete legalization of recreational cannabis.
Freshman Ella England thinks that legalization for medical use but not recreational use is the way to stay. “It’s one more thing for people to get addicted to,” England said.
Senior Rio Cox believes that “people should not be criminalized for marijuana usage in general… A lot less people would be dying from cannabis being laced, which would outweigh all possible downsides.”
A number of candidates ran with a position on marijuana on their platform and HF-100 was one first bills that hit the House of Representatives when the session started Jan. 3. The bill headed to the House committees Jan. 11.
Since 2014, under Minnesota state law, people aged 18 and up can receive a prescription for cannabis for a number of reasons, including ALS, chronic pain, PTSD, and OCD.
As far as recreational cannabis usage, citizens aged 21 and older can purchase and consume cannabis with restrictions, such as only hemp-derived THC being allowed, only five milligrams of THC allowed in edibles, only being allowed to have two fully grown plants and only being allowed to possess two ounces or less of flower in public spaces. This use was approved in July 2022 and caused a great deal of controversy,
“It is necessary to legalize [cannabis] because probation has never worked,” Minnesota State House Majority Leader Jamie Long said in an interview with The Rubicon.
Long mentioned that legalizing cannabis would fix many racial issues attached to the current cannabis legislation.
“Despite different racial groups using it at the same rate, Black Minnesotans are seven times as likely to be arrested for use,” he said, implying that with a lack of equal enforcement, “it has been legal for White people for a while.”

Long said in a new bill that he is co-authoring, there are programs that would make reparations to the people who were mistreated by this legislation in the past by getting rid of any minor marijuana-related criminal records, helping to level the playing field.
Opposing arguments have historically made the legalization of cannabis difficult. Many states that have legalized marijuana have much higher rates of accidental child consumption of edibles.
Legislators are also considering how increased rates of driving under the influence will be managed, as states that have legalized use have seen. There is also currently no field sobriety test for cannabis.
As far as addiction, though, Long mentioned that if full legalization similar to that of California was to be put into place, the tax dollars from cannabis purchasing would go directly to expanding access to high-quality treatment plans.
A third Minnesota House Committee approved the bill, with amendments, Jan. 24. It moves on to the next of 13 committees before a floor vote.