A downtown Minneapolis medical marijuana dispensary is partnering with volunteer lawyers from St. Paul's Mitchell Hamline School of Law in hosting the state's first-ever expungement clinic to help people clear their records of nonviolent cannabis charges.
Minnesota's first cannabis expungement clinic opens Saturday
Dispensaries across the U.S. are hosting similar clinics.
September 11, 2021 at 1:45AM
The clinic is being held Saturday at Green Goods, 207 S. 9th St., from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Preregistration is required to attend the event, which aims "to provide assistance and education to those with cannabis convictions to clear their criminal records," according to Green Goods, which has eight dispensaries throughout Minnesota.
Mayor Jacob Frey tweeted Friday evening in support of the clinic and said he was "glad to see the first expungement clinic starting in downtown MPLS."
"We need to continue pressing for legalization and expungement under State law. Until then, efforts like these are laying important groundwork," Frey wrote.
In May, the Minnesota House cast a historic vote to legalize marijuana for adults, but shortly after the vote, the bill died in the Senate facing strong GOP opposition. Minnesota allows medical marijuana, but it prohibits smoking raw cannabis flower. Meanwhile, 18 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for recreational use.
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The special election Nov. 5 will determine whether the GOP flips control of the state Senate or the DFL stays in charge.
