Canada appears poised to legalize recreational marijuana, but things are nowhere near that point south of the border in Minnesota. Heather Azzi with the Marijuana Policy Project says there’s a “real possibility” of significant movement next year at the Minnesota Legislature — but is withholding judgment until after the election. Azzi says, “There are certain representatives and certain senators who are strongly opposed, and if they end up as the chair of a certain committee the legislation would need to pass through, then we’ll have roadblocks very similar to what we faced with the medical cannabis legislation.”
Law enforcement groups for the most part are strongly opposed to legalizing marijuana, warning it’s a “gateway” to more serious drug use. Minnesota has a medical cannabis program that makes marijuana derivatives available to patients with qualifying conditions.
Azzi says her group targets certain states, and although Minnesota has not been on that list in recent years, “It could certainly make it there. We’ll await the election in November. We’ll see what the opportunities look like throughout the country and how much we have in resources to employ. But, yeah, it certainly could be.”