ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Two Minnesota lawmakers have proposed legislation that would legalize adult-use cannabis, hoping to start what they acknowledge will be a long and contentious discussion.
Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka says he doesn’t think the legislation will pass this year.
Edina Democrat Melissa Franzen introduced the measures in the House, and Golden Valley Democrat Mike Freiberg proposed them in the Senate. They said at a news conference their proposal focuses on establishing a regulatory framework for legal sales of recreational cannabis starting in 2020 and for taxing them.
Franzen and Freiberg say they’re hoping to at least get hearings on the issue.
While there’s a new Democratic majority in the Minnesota House, Republicans still hold a slim majority in the state Senate, where Majority Leader Paul Gazelka issued a statement saying that he doesn’t think the legislation will pass this year.
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This story will be updated.
