St. Paul Rochester Rep. Tina Liebling wants voters to decide whether to legalize marijuana for recreational use in Minnesota.
The DFL lawmaker said she plans to introduce a bill for a proposed constitutional amendment allowing people to grow and buy marijuana for personal use. Liebling said she favors this approach, giving citizens the chance to make the decision.
"It’s the kind of thing that people really want to weigh in on, and they should be able to do that. I’m not really a fan of putting every old thing in the constitution, but I think this is a big enough change. It’s a matter of people having the right to do something they don’t have the right to do now," she said.
Liebling is expected to join other Democrats during a Capitol press conference this morning to discuss bills being introduced to legalize recreational marijuana. Rep. Jon Applebaum, DFL-Minnetonka, announced he also plans to introduce a marijuana legalization bill.
These measures likely face an uphill climb in the Republican-led Legislature. Rep. Greg Davids, R-Preston, said there is very little support among his caucus to legalize marijuana for recreational use. He said he is strongly opposed to the idea.
"No way. It’s a federally recognized illegal drug, and I think this whole marijuana thing we’re going down the wrong track," Davids said.
In 2014, Minnesota approved one of the strictest medical marijuana programs in the nation. That law prohibits qualified patients from smoking the plant, instead only allowing it to be used in pill, liquid or oil form.
DFL Gov. Mark Dayton has also said he opposes allowing marijuana for recreational use. However, a proposed constitutional amendment does not need the governor’s OK to be placed on the ballot.
Liebling said her proposal goes beyond simply putting the question before the voters. She said she is also putting together a policy proposal so voters know exactly what legalization would look like in the state. For instance, she said she would require sellers of marijuana to be licensed so buyers know what they are getting and that it is not contaminated. She would also set a minimum age of 18 to smoke marijuana. She said some might see that as being too young, but she argues that young people are the ones buying marijuana on the black market.
In addition, Liebling is proposing that sales of marijuana be taxed. Money raised from the tax would go towards chemical dependency and mental health education and treatment. She said she realizes that using marijuana is not without risk of harm but said it is less of a danger than alcohol.
"Alcohol is a much more harmful drug than cannabis, and we allow people to use it. We don’t allow children to use it, but we allow adults to use it, and it has some very bad effects on society. But we’ve learned through our history that prohibiting it is worse," she said.
And while Liebling acknowledges her proposal likely faces a tough fight at the Capitol, she said it is a proposal that Republicans should be able to get behind.
"(Republicans) say they are for individual freedom and individual responsibility and all of that" she said. "And I think part of this is about individual freedom. If adults want to use a substance that is intoxicating and they make a choice to use it, why should government say no?"
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: Should Minnesota Legalize Marijuana For Recreational Use?
Author: Heather J. Carlson
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