Minnesota close to joining states with legal marijuana for adults

As this opinion piece is being written, the Minnesota House of Representatives is debating a bill that would legalize recreational marijuana use for adults in the state. The Minnesota State Senate is scheduled to vote on the bill tomorrow (Friday).
The House began debating the bill late Monday night, finally tabling it with the intention of voting on Tuesday.
The House and Senate bills both would permit Minnesotans 21 and older to buy up to two ounces of cannabis flower, eight grams of concentrate and 800 milligrams worth of edible products at one time. Adults would also be allowed to grow up to eight cannabis plants at home.
Specifics were still be debated and amendments offered in the House on Tuesday and there are some differences between the House bill and that to be debated in the Senate.
For example, the House bill was proposing an 8% gross receipts tax on cannabis sales over the next four years while the Senate bill as currently written has a 10 percent tax.
After both bills are approved by their respective houses it will be up to a conference committee to work out the differences between the two and get a bill that will pass both houses and be sent on to Gov. Tim Walz for his signature.
At this point seems to be little doubt that a marijuana bill will be passed and signed by the governor. The subject has come up in previous sessions and in 2021 House Democrats approved a legalization bill but the Republican-controlled Senate refused to act on that bill.
This time around both the House and Senate as well as the Executive Branch are controlled by Democrats so final approval would seem assured. Walz has also said he would sign the bill if it reaches his desk.
Also, public support, and if not full support at least acceptance, of legalized marijuana has grown over the past several years. It has become more common in other states and Minnesota already has medical marijuana.
Minnesota’s Republican lawmakers, and many other Minnesotans, still have concerns about legalization, not least that it would increase the potential for driving under the influence. Marijuana is also still illegal under Federal law and that raises another set of concerns.
So there are still questions that need to be answered and details that need to be worked out if Minnesota is to go this route.
One of the most important is to have the means in place to control the sale of legalized marijuana and how to monitor such activities as driving under the influence.
Last session a bill was passed and signed that allowed the sale of other cannabis products, such as eidibles. With all that said, if Minnesota is to allow adults to smoke marijuana recreationally, citizens have a right to know that regulations are in place to address their legitimate concerns.
The arts are alive and well in southeastern Minnesota
A story in this week’s Dodge County Independent reports that three organizations in Dodge County have received grants from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council (SEMAC).
The Mantorville Art Guild received a $10,000 Legacy grant for their Youth Summer Art Camp, the Mantorville Economic Development Authority received a $5,000 Legacy grant for the Larger Than Life exhibit at Riverside Park, and the Mantorville Theatre Company received a $5,000 Small Towns/Rural Areas grant for their 50th anniversary Summer Melodrama Season.
That’s $20,000 in grants to provide educational and entertaining art of all types in the county.
It’s good to remember that one does not always have to travel to larger metropolitan areas to take in quality art exhibits, plays, and musical performances.
These three events are not the only arts related activities regularly found in Dodge County. The area high schools also routinely provide quality theater and musical performances. County libraries offer a variety of activities including the Minnesota Author Tour which will soon be in the area. Author Lorna Landvik is scheduled to discuss her novels at the Kasson Public Library on Wednesday, May 3, and on Saturday, May 6, at the Dodge Center Public Library. Over in West Concord, author William Kent Krueger is scheduled to be at the library at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 6. Last Saturday, it sponsored a performance by the Taiko Arts Japanese drummers at the West Concord Historical Society.
All this is just a reminder that there are many activities going on in Dodge County that are worthy of your attendance.