Rice County Attorney John Fossum said he does not believe the legislature will pass a bill legalizing the recreational use of marijuana during this session and added that he would not support such a measure.
Fossum said he still sees too many problems with legalization that have not been resolved. First among them, he said is traffic safety issues. Right now if a person is found to be driving a car with THC in their blood system, that constitutes an offense for driving under the influence. But legalization of marijuana would complicate the matter, because there has not been a determination of how much THC a person can have in their system and still safely operate a motor vehicle.
He pointed to Colorado, which was the first state in the nation to legalize recreational use, and said they experienced a profound increase in traffic safety issues after legalization.
Fossum said he doesn’t see the issue as a high priority in the legislature, partially because in recent years, Minnesota has greatly reduced the penalties for possession.
“Minnesota decriminalized marijuana a long time ago, but I don’t think legalization is quite where we’re ready to go. Most marijuana possession offenses aren’t very serious. Some of them are petty misdemeanors, and some are misdemeanors. To get to a felony you have to have a lot, so it’s not an offense that we spend a lot of time dealing with.”
In 2021, the State House of Representatives passed a legalization bill with several Republicans voting in favor, along with the Democratic majority, but the bill did not receive a hearing in the Senate. Governor Tim Walz has said he would sign a legalization bill and has encouraged the legislature to send one to his desk. This year, another bill has been introduced, but the results will most likely be the same. There is almost zero support in the Senate Republican majority for legalization, and some wonder if this year’s bill will even make it to the House floor.
At least eighteen states across the country have legalized recreational use, along with Guam and the District of Columbia. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has introduced legislation into the United States Senate to declassify marijuana as a Schedule 1 narcotic.
