April 29 (UPI) — The Minnesota state Senate voted to approve marijuana legalization in a historic vote held Friday, paving the way for recreational sales in the state.
The bill passed 34-33 along party lines, with all Democrats voting in favor of the law and all Republicans voting against it. The state House, also controlled by Democrats, passed its marijuana legalization measure on Tuesday.
While both bills allow adults over 21 to purchase up to two ounces of cannabis for recreational use, they have inconsistencies on tax issues and the status of marijuana possession at private residences.
The Senate bill imposes a 10% tax on recreational marijuana products while the House bill calls for an 8% gross receipt tax over four years.
Additionally, the Senate bill lets cities choose how many legal dispensaries they will allow in their jurisdiction, while the House bill does not.
The Senate bill allows people to possess up to two pounds of purchased marijuana at their homes and up to five pounds of cultivated marijuana, while the House bill has a standardized limit of 1.5 pounds.
Those differences will have to be ironed out to create a single bill that can be signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz, who supports the measures.
The bill would automatically expunge misdemeanor cannabis-related convictions and create a consulting body to expunge marijuana-related felony convictions. An Office of Cannabis Management would also be created to regulate sales.
“Legalizing adult-use cannabis and expunging cannabis convictions is good for our economy and the right move for Minnesota. When the bill reaches my desk, I’ll be proud to sign it into law,” Governor Walz tweeted Friday.
Republican state senators expressed concern over what they described as safety issues related to cannabis legalization.
“What we’ve come down to after our analysis is this bill simply isn’t enough – not enough public safety, not enough or not enough for public health,” said state Senate minority leader Mark Johnson.