Governor Tim Walz says legalizing marijuana for recreational use “should happen as fast as Minnesotans are comfortable we’re doing the right thing” — but Walz stresses he’s not diminishing opponents’ concerns. He says, “I *certainly* don’t want to rush to the point where people feel like, you didn’t talk about public safety, you didn’t talk about long-term addiction, you didn’t talk about societal cost…. We need to make sure that those are all addressed and people feel comfortable.” Walz says if there’s satisfaction that the pros and cons have been discussed and all alternatives explored, then “we should go ahead and start moving” to make recreational marijuana legal in Minnesota.
Excerpt from Gov. Walz’s Wednesday afternoon news conference: