After hours of a somewhat heated debate, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved the marijuana legalization bill.

After the bill made its way through 12 House committees since February, the full chamber passed the measure on a 72-61 vote. The bill gathered some Republican support and now it will head to the Senate. Leaders in the GOP have signaled they will not support the bill.

House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (D), Speaker Melissa Hortman (D), and other lawmakers sponsor the bill. The legislation will allow adults 21 and over to purchase and possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis. They can also cultivate up to eight plants. Four of the eights can be mature.

“Cannabis prohibition in Minnesota has been a failure,” Winkler said before the vote. “The criminal penalties associated with cannabis prohibition have been unfairly applied to communities of color, especially Black Minnesotans.”

The proposal will legalize cannabis for adults in Minnesota, expunge records from previous cannabis convictions, and create a legal market. The market will allow more opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses in Minnesota. It will also create a pathway for social equity applicants to be part of a growing industry.

Likelihood For the Bill in the Senate

The governor supports legalization, but it will still need to pass through the Senate. There are significant challenges ahead in the Senate. Lawmakers have indicated that they would rather revisit the existing medical cannabis program than end prohibition.

However, Winkler said that he expects it to pass if the chamber takes it up for a vote. At the very least the momentum could encourage GOP members to take up more modest reforms like expanding the medical cannabis program.

“I think we are having an effect on them, and they feel the pressure to find a way to act because they know that they are losing this and the public will eventually win and get this,” Winkler said.

In order to win some Republican support, lawmakers adopted amendments such as putting some cannabis revenue toward tax relief.

Ultimately, the chamber adopted many GOP-led amendments. Although, in some cases, lawmakers made further changes to those amendments.

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