Minnesota House casts historic vote to legalize marijuana On 72-61 vote, bill now heads to Senate, where it faces staunch opposition by GOP. May 13, 2021 11:20pm Text size Copy shortlink:
The Minnesota House voted on Thursday to legalize marijuana for adults, the furthest the proposal has ever traveled in the Legislature and a watershed moment on an issue that has long languished in St. Paul.
After more than five hours of debate, the House voted 72-61 in favor of legalization, with support from nearly all Democrats and six Republicans. DFL Gov. Tim Walz supports the measure, but it still faces long odds to become law this year, with just days left in the regular 2021 session and opposition from Republicans in control of the state Senate.
Senate leaders on Thursday said the measure would go up in smoke in that chamber. 11:09 pm, May 13, 2021 ×
Minnesota House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler, D-Golden Valley, on Thursday, May 13, 2021, spoke to reporters at the Minnesota Capitol about his proposal to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use. (Dana Ferguson / Forum News Service)
ST. PAUL The Minnesota House of Representatives on Thursday, May 13, advanced a proposal to legalize marijuana for adult use, marking the first time in state history that the chamber weighed and passed the proposal.
On a
72-61 bipartisan vote, lawmakers moved the proposal to the GOP-led Senate, where it has little chance of passing into law.
Should the measure pass, Minnesota would join over a dozen states that have legalized marijuana in recent years, including Massachusetts, California and Colorado. The state of New York recently legalized recreational marijuana in March.
According to the Tribune, a heated debate over the issue lasted for five hours before the vote on the bill. This bill is a long time coming, Minnesota House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (D) said. Minnesotans have decided it s time to legalize cannabis and right the wrongs of the criminal prohibition of marijuana that has failed Minnesotans and has failed Minnesota. It starts with marijuana and it goes on to other things, Rep. Dave Baker (R), whose son died from an overdose, said. This is not a joke, this is serious.
READERS have reacted after Tesco bosses responded to fears that staff are not enforcing the use of face coverings in their Barrow store. A spokesman from the supermarket chain said they would not let let anyone in their stores without a face covering, unless they are exempt. Dave Baker said: Don t let them in without them no matter why. Too many people with false credentials. Gill Park said: And without doing their hands and trolleys. Pam Edmondson said: Who on earth would even think of going into any shop without a mask? Over here we wear them in the street never mind just in shops.