Minnesota became the 23rd state to legalize recreational marijuana for adults over the age of 21 in 2023. Saturday marks the first 4/20 — a symbolically important date in marijuana lore — where the drug is legal for recreational use in the state. There are several events across the state to help celebrate.
The long road to legality in Minnesota dates back to 1976, and it is still a work in progress, with recreational dispensaries not expected until sometime next year at the earliest. Here are some key moments in the journey.
1972
The National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse issued a report advocating that federal criminal law was “too harsh a tool to apply to personal possession even in efforts to discourage use.”
1976
Minnesota lessened penalties around cannabis possession, via a 1976 statute that said anyone in possession of “a small amount of marijuana is guilty of a petty misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $100 and participation in a drug education program.” Municipalities were barred from passing laws more strict than what was enforced by the state.
1998
The Legal Marijuana Now Party was established with the sole purpose of opposing marijuana prohibition in law. The party was successful enough in the past decade to earn major party status, but now finds itself fighting to hold on to that distinction.
