I'm am continuously puzzled and a bit frustrated as to why in the year 2021 that there is even an issue with legalizing recreational marijuana. It's a plant, for cripes sake, why the holdup? Perhaps it's a fear that someone might get high and write a poem or order a pizza or something anti social like that.

Marijuana Supporters March In Hemp Parade
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Perhaps it's all the overdoses and deaths caused by this plant.  Oh, yeah, that's right, there are none. Zero!

The good news is that the bill to legalize recreational marijuana has advanced on the floor of the Minnesota House of Representatives. This is the farthest this matter has made it in the State Legislature.

Seems the big beef is the affect and impact legalized weed will have on the criminal justice system.  Supporters maintain that legalization solve the problem of how differently Black and white Minnesotans are treated for the possession of marijuana.

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The ACLU of Minnesota released a report last year showing Minnesota ranks 8th for the largest disparities in marijuana possession arrests.  Also the report found that Black people were 5.4 times more likely to be arrested for possession.

“Our effort as a society and as a state to use the criminal justice system to ban, prohibit and criminalize cannabis is a public policy failure,” said House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler, DFL-Golden Valley.

Also, law enforcement is concerned about the fact that there is no roadside test for marijuana impairment.  The thing about pot, unlike alcohol, is that it will never make you feel like you are fine to drive.  Nobody high wants to make that 30 minute 4 block drive to Taco Bell, just sayin'.

But I guess I see their point.  Come on technology, let's get a roadside test developed and we can move forward.

In a 11-7 vote Tuesday the bill to legalize passed it's 9th House committee. Now the bill will be reviewed by three other committees before advancing to the House floor, which could happen as early as next week.

So, keep your fingers and eyes crossed that this bill finally gets approved.

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