St. Paul, Minn - Majority Leader Ryan Winkler was joined by Assistant Senate Minority Leader Jeff Hayden, Rep. Liz Olson, Rep. Jen Schultz and Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell for a community conversation on cannabis in Duluth on Saturday. The meeting is the first of 15 hosted by Rep. Winkler and legislators around the state to encourage Minnesotans to join the conversation on how to legalize and regulate cannabis for adult use.
"Minnesota’s current laws on cannabis are doing more harm than good," said Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. "These conversations are about hearing from Minnesotans across the state about how we can safely and responsibly legalize adult-use cannabis to address racial disparities, provide relief for veterans, and improve public health for all Minnesotans."
“There’s a great deal of momentum toward cannabis legalization among Minnesotans, and there are many reasons why the current prohibition is harmful. Getting outside the Capitol to gather public input from Minnesotans will help ensure a legalization framework in Minnesota works well for everybody,” said Rep. Liz Olson (DFL – Duluth), the House Majority Whip. “By hearing Minnesotans' goals and concerns about legalization directly, and learning what has and hasn’t worked in other states, we have an opportunity to get this done right in Minnesota.”
“The status quo when it comes to cannabis policy isn’t working. It’s not working for veterans, for people with medical conditions, and for people wrongly brought into the criminal justice system,” said Rep. Jen Schultz (DFL – Duluth). “We must proceed with legalization responsibly though, with a recognition there are several impacts which still need to be addressed, including youth access, health, and public safety. I’m thankful for Majority Leader Winkler bringing this tour to Duluth and allowing people from our community to provide input on how we should proceed on this issue.”
“We know all Minnesotans deserve the same opportunities to be safe and healthy, no matter where they live or what they look like,” said Assistant Senate Minority Leader Jeff Hayden. “If we’re going to move forward on legalizing cannabis for adults, we need to listen and learn to make sure we get this right. These community conversations are the best way to hear firsthand from Minnesotans across the state – because we know there’s more to governing than just what happens in Saint Paul.”
Meetings are also scheduled for Minneapolis on Sept. 25 and St. Cloud on Oct. 12. More event details are on the Be Heard on Cannabis website.
11 states and Washington, D.C. have legalized cannabis for adult-use. In an op-ed written earlier this month, Rep. Winkler announced that legalizing cannabis for adult use will be a legislative priority during the 2020 session.
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