OT: Legal Weed in MN - Coming Soon?

@"purplefaithful" said:

@"JR44" said: I don't drink or smoke, so I don't have a lot of knowledge of either, but the question I have with it is how you do you police those who are diving under the influence? With alcohol you can test, but to my knowledge there is no way to test for it if you were to pull someone over with suspicion.  Even though legal in CA, the law is still like the open container law with alcohol, but we have people who think they are free to smoke it while driving.  

Legit concern!

Law enforcement needs to be trained well on this.

Nobody should be toking-up and getting behind the wheel, any more so than partying at the bar with some cocktails and then driving.

Impaired driving is impaired driving regardless of the drug of choice. 

I partake in Delta 8-Delta 9 gummies, which get you right there compared to weed. I was surprised. Its legal, sold in various places, so I dismissed it. Then tried one and was like:

Minnesota is poised to legalize recreational marijuana as early as this week after legislative negotiators finalized the bill and readied it for last votes in the House and Senate.A conference committee tasked with merging the House and Senate marijuana bills into one finished its work on Tuesday. Among many changes, the committee set the tax rate for cannabis products at 10%, capped home possession of marijuana flower at 2 pounds and gave cities the option of limiting the number of cannabis retailers within their limits.
While the bill would make marijuana possession and limited home-growing legal for those 21 and older this summer, it could take a year or longer until the first retail dispensary opens. The bill creates a new state agency, the Office of Cannabis Management, to oversee licensing of recreational and medical marijuana and hemp-derived products.

The state's medical marijuana providers would continue operating as normal through the end of the year during the regulatory transition. Most existing rules regarding hemp-based THC drinks and edibles would also remain in place until next July, when newly created license requirements would kick in.
The bill now heads back to the House and Senate for final passage. Both chambers already approved earlier versions of the bill last month.
https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-lawmakers-finalize-marijuana-legalization-bill-final-votes-up-next-cannabis/600275311/

@"StickyBun" said: I partake in Delta 8-Delta 9 gummies, which get you right there compared to weed. I was surprised. Its legal, sold in various places, so I dismissed it. Then tried one and was like:

Now, if they really want to help out Americans, DECRIM psychedelics and start giving greater access to the academic and medical community to study the multitude of impacts that people can take advantage of, safely.

Taking recently to a person hiring for nationwide positions and the challenges that legalized pot have created is eye opening.  They are in manufacturing and are a union shop,   all employees have to be able to pass a drug test, including sales and customer service employees who dont have near the risk as a plant employee,  but as soon he brings up the drug tests that eliminates a ton of the under 35 crowd that they like to target.  I would imagine this is more common than a person would think and will only get worse with more states legalizing it.  I think the pot industry should be focused on a breathalyzer type test for thc, as current tests are too limited and make it very hard for employers to have a reasonable view on pot use.

I think if anyone is stoopid enough to drive or go to work drunk or stoned? They should be facing some pretty harsh penalties including being fired. 

@"purplefaithful" said: I think if anyone is stoopid enough to drive or go to work drunk or stoned? They should be facing some pretty harsh penalties including being fired. 

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"JR44" said: I don't drink or smoke, so I don't have a lot of knowledge of either, but the question I have with it is how you do you police those who are diving under the influence? With alcohol you can test, but to my knowledge there is no way to test for it if you were to pull someone over with suspicion.  Even though legal in CA, the law is still like the open container law with alcohol, but we have people who think they are free to smoke it while driving.  

apparently just give each cop a bag of funyuns,  if they suspect somebody of driving stoned,  they offer them the funyuns,  if they accept then they must be stoned so you arrest them.

@"Akvike" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"JR44" said: I don't drink or smoke, so I don't have a lot of knowledge of either, but the question I have with it is how you do you police those who are diving under the influence? With alcohol you can test, but to my knowledge there is no way to test for it if you were to pull someone over with suspicion.  Even though legal in CA, the law is still like the open container law with alcohol, but we have people who think they are free to smoke it while driving.  

apparently just give each cop a bag of funyuns,  if they suspect somebody of driving stoned,  they offer them the funyuns,  if they accept then they must be stoned so you arrest them.

Now There---I don't partake of the Devils' Lettuce but still enjoy a bag of Funyuns sometimes so don't you be putting forth any entrapment clauses on me.

Minnesota House casts final vote to legalize recreational marijuanaA Senate vote could come Friday, potentially sending the marijuana bill to the governor's desk by the weekend.Minnesota is just one Senate vote and a governor's signature away from legalizing recreational marijuana for adults.

The DFL-controlled House voted 73-57 to legalize marijuana on Thursday night. The Senate could take up the bill as early as Friday. Pending Senate approval, the bill will head to the desk of Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, who's pledged to sign it.
The bill allows Minnesotans 21 and older to buy up to 2 ounces of cannabis flower, 8 grams of concentrate and 800 milligrams worth of edible products at a time, and possess those amounts while in public.

Adults would also be allowed to grow up to eight cannabis plants at home, though no more than four could be mature and flowering at a time.
Minnesota would become the 23rd state in the country to legalize recreational marijuana if the bill is passed by the Senate and signed by Walz. But Minnesota would be only the 11th state to allow home-growing, Stephenson said. 
Legislative negotiators finalized the marijuana legalization bill earlier this week. They set the tax rate for cannabis products at 10%, capped home possession of marijuana flower at 2 pounds and gave cities the option of limiting the number of cannabis retailers within their limits.
Rep. Nolan West, R-Blaine, said he was happy that cities were given the power to limit the number of cannabis retailers. He also praised Stephenson for including Republicans on the conference committee that finalized the marijuana bill.
"While it's not the perfect bill, it is much better than when it left the House," said West, who voted for the measure.
Much Republican opposition remained, however. GOP lawmakers cited worries about possible upticks in impaired driving and teen marijuana use.
Marijuana possession would be decriminalized and home-growing would become legal on Aug. 1, Stephenson said. The state would also start working in August to expunge past marijuana convictions from Minnesotans' records.
https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-house-to-cast-final-vote-on-legalizing-recreational-marijuana/600276122/

@"StickyBun" said:

@"Akvike" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"JR44" said: I don't drink or smoke, so I don't have a lot of knowledge of either, but the question I have with it is how you do you police those who are diving under the influence? With alcohol you can test, but to my knowledge there is no way to test for it if you were to pull someone over with suspicion.  Even though legal in CA, the law is still like the open container law with alcohol, but we have people who think they are free to smoke it while driving.  

apparently just give each cop a bag of funyuns,  if they suspect somebody of driving stoned,  they offer them the funyuns,  if they accept then they must be stoned so you arrest them.

Now There---I don't partake of the Devils' Lettuce but still enjoy a bag of Funyuns sometimes so don't you be putting forth any entrapment clauses on me.

Here comes ol' Funyun breath! (nothing destroys your breath worse on Earth.....but I love them). 

@"HappyViking" said:

@"StickyBun" said:

@"Akvike" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"JR44" said: I don't drink or smoke, so I don't have a lot of knowledge of either, but the question I have with it is how you do you police those who are diving under the influence? With alcohol you can test, but to my knowledge there is no way to test for it if you were to pull someone over with suspicion.  Even though legal in CA, the law is still like the open container law with alcohol, but we have people who think they are free to smoke it while driving.  

apparently just give each cop a bag of funyuns,  if they suspect somebody of driving stoned,  they offer them the funyuns,  if they accept then they must be stoned so you arrest them.

Now There---I don't partake of the Devils' Lettuce but still enjoy a bag of Funyuns sometimes so don't you be putting forth any entrapment clauses on me.

Here comes ol' Funyun breath! (nothing destroys your breath worse on Earth.....but I love them). 

I'm more of a sour cream and onion chip guy; dammit those things are sooo gooood (weed or not)!

Ello Gov'na!  This is rolling along way faster than I thought. B) Congrats Minnesota!

https://www.inforum.com/news/minnesota/minnesota-senate-sends-legal-marijuana-to-governors-desk
Minnesota Senate sends legal marijuana to governor's desk

After years of advocacy and a marathon of hearings and votes, recreational marijuana bill heads to governor's desk.

Home growers will be able to have eight plants, four or fewer of which could be mature, flowering plants.
The
legalization bill also would automatically expunge petty misdemeanor
and misdemeanor marijuana convictions from records. A new Cannabis
Expungement Board would review felony cases and determine whether a
record should be cleared or if the person should be resentenced.

Legalization would create new licenses for cultivators,
retailers, wholesalers and other parts of the cannabis business. An
office of cannabis management created by the bill would regulate the
production and sale of cannabis products in the state as well as the
state medical cannabis program.
Sales of cannabis products would carry a 10% state tax on top of the existing 6.875% state sales tax.
The
bill would provide nearly $80 million in the next two years for new
regulations and other legalization-related programs. It also includes
millions in funding to address concerns about high drivers by training
officers to recognize signs of marijuana intoxication.
While the
law would go into effect in August, it will take a year or longer for
the new regulations and licensing to go into effect, meaning new
dispensaries wouldn't be able to open well after legalization.
THC-containing
edibles made legal in Minnesota last July also would fall under new
regulations. Sellers of the low-dosage edibles currently legal in the
state would need to apply for a license.
Local governments will
have a say in regulating marijuana, including the number of businesses
allowed in a community. Many municipalities were concerned they wouldn’t
have enough control over how marijuana businesses could operate and
eventually got more control in the bill's final version.

why would anybody go buy it from a licensed dealer and pay 16% tax ( and likely more because the dealer has to pay for a license as well as likely a store front)  when their current supply situation is tax free and has been working just fine for them.  Its not like its been a challenge for anybody the last 60 years to find pot has it?

@"JimmyinSD" said: why would anybody go buy it from a licensed dealer and pay 16% tax ( and likely more because the dealer has to pay for a license as well as likely a store front)  when their current supply situation is tax free and has been working just fine for them.  Its not like its been a challenge for anybody the last 60 years to find pot has it?

@"1VikesFan" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said: why would anybody go buy it from a licensed dealer and pay 16% tax ( and likely more because the dealer has to pay for a license as well as likely a store front)  when their current supply situation is tax free and has been working just fine for them.  Its not like its been a challenge for anybody the last 60 years to find pot has it?

Convenience, I live in a state where it's legal and can't count the times I have been out running errands etc and just decided to stop in and pick up some gummies or weed. Yes I obviously partake. 

@"JimmyinSD" said: why would anybody go buy it from a licensed dealer and pay 16% tax ( and likely more because the dealer has to pay for a license as well as likely a store front)  when their current supply situation is tax free and has been working just fine for them.  Its not like its been a challenge for anybody the last 60 years to find pot has it?

@"HappyViking" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said: why would anybody go buy it from a licensed dealer and pay 16% tax ( and likely more because the dealer has to pay for a license as well as likely a store front)  when their current supply situation is tax free and has been working just fine for them.  Its not like its been a challenge for anybody the last 60 years to find pot has it?

Mainly I'm excited about not worrying about getting busted for pot. Just glad it's legal, and hopefully the stigma of pot use just goes away.

@"1VikesFan" said:

@"HappyViking" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said: why would anybody go buy it from a licensed dealer and pay 16% tax ( and likely more because the dealer has to pay for a license as well as likely a store front)  when their current supply situation is tax free and has been working just fine for them.  Its not like its been a challenge for anybody the last 60 years to find pot has it?

Mainly I'm excited about not worrying about getting busted for pot. Just glad it's legal, and hopefully the stigma of pot use just goes away.

Honestly I know a lot of people that smoke weed or ingest weed products and none of them still buy illegally. Everyone uses dispensaries. The products are quality guaranteed, which is one thing most people appreciate.