Surrounded by dozens of cheering people in green clothes, Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill Tuesday to legalize recreational marijuana for people over the age of 21, making Minnesota the 23rd state to legalize the substance for adults.
“This has been a long journey with a lot of folks involved,” Walz said.Among them was one of the first governors in the U.S. to openly support marijuana legalization.
“For me personally, it’s very wonderful to see a dream of yours over 20 years ago finally happen today, and I’m still alive to see it,” said Jesse Ventura, Minnesota’s governor from 1999-2003.
Under the new law, cannabis will be legal by Aug. 1 to possess, use and grow marijuana at home. Possession of cannabis flower will be limited to 2 pounds (0.9 kilos) at home and 2 ounces (56 grams) in public.
Other possession caps include 800 milligrams of THC in gummies and other edibles and 8 grams of cannabis concentrate.Retail sales at dispensaries will probably be at least a year away. Once licensed, stores will charge sales tax plus a 10% cannabis tax.
Minnesotans who have been convicted of misdemeanor or petty misdemeanor possession will also get their records automatically expunged.
