House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, supports legalizing recreational marijuana for adult use but Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R) has no plans to work toward cannabis legalization during this year’s session
SouthernMinn.com reports
“Minnesota’s current cannabis laws are doing more harm than good,” Hortman told The Center Square in a statement. “By creating a regulatory framework we can address the harms caused by cannabis and establish a more sensible set of laws to improve our health care & criminal justice systems and ensure better outcomes for communities,” she said.
“Unfortunately, Senate Republicans remain the biggest obstacle to progress on this issue.”
Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-Nisswa, explained why.
“I don’t believe fully legalized marijuana is right for the state. Other states that have legalized marijuana are having issues with public safety, and we are concerned that we haven’t fully seen how this works with employment issues, education outcomes, and mental health,” Gazelka said in a statement.”
