A newly passed bill in Minnesota has some lawmakers surprised to learn they had just voted to legalize the use of stronger edibles across the state.
The bill, titled HF 3595, allows for the manufacturing and sale of products laced with THC derived from hemp. If you're unaware, hemp is cannabis that has a THC (the chemical in marijuana that gets you high) content of 0.3 percent or less, and is already legal in the US. Before July 1, when the bill went into effect, it was legal to sell products with delta-8 THC, but it illegal to sell products including delta-9 THC, which is considered twice as potent as delta-8. Lawmakers, wanting to crack down on the mostly unregulated delta-8 THC, quickly passed HF 3595, which set a limit of 5 milligrams of THC per serving. But due to the bill not clarifying which type of THC, the bill in effect legalized delta-9 THC, the far more potent version.
This apparently shocked some lawmakers, who had voted unanimously for the bill. State Senator Jim Abeler told the Minnesota Star Tribune that he didn't realize the bill would legalize delta-9, and several other Republican lawmakers have hinted that they weren't fully aware of the consequences of the bill either. And seeing how the Minnesota Senate is currently controlled by the Republican Party, its possible that the bill wouldn't have passed if Republican lawmakers had understood what they were voting for. Republicans state senators have already shot down several attempts by Democrats at legalizing recreational marijuana in Minnesota.
So, in conclusion, edibles had been legal in Minnesota before the passing of this bill, but the passing of the new bill allows for much stronger edibles, capable of leaving you with the same high as marijuana. So if you're 21 or older, enjoy the closest Minnesota might ever come to legalizing marijuana.
Sources:
1. https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/minnesota-senate-shoots-down-latest-marijuana-legalization-attempt
2. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=HF3595&y=2022&ssn=0&b=house#actions
3. https://minnesotareformer.com/2022/07/01/the-legislature-stumbles-into-legalizing-thc-for-better-or-worse-column/
4. https://www.startribune.com/new-cannabis-edible-law-catches-some-minnesota-regulators-lawmakers-by-surprise/600187019/?refresh=true
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