Minnesota Lawmaker Wants Young-Adults To Help Create New Cannabis Laws

State Senator Susan Pha (D) wants young adults to help create cannabis policy as Minnesota regulators set up the infrastructure to run the legal marijuana marketplace, expected to launch in 2025.

Pha told Newsmakers at CCX Media that she’s working on legislation that will address young Minnesotans who want to have a say on important issues facing the state’s new cannabis industry such as preventing cannabis packaging.

"As you know, we are rolling out cannabis next year, and that means there are retail options," Pha said. "Young people want to be sure they are part of that process and that they are part of setting up what is marketed towards them as a young group."

See also: Gov. Tim Walz Names Former Minneapolis City Attorney To Lead Minnesota’s Cannabis Expungement Board

Pha, elected in 2022 in Minnesota’s District 38A, said it was important for young adults to be represented on the Cannabis Advisory Council. "We’re hoping to get two seats on the council…specifically dedicated to young people ages, 18 to 25."

Minnesota legalized recreational marijuana in August 2023. The tribal lands were the first and only to launch legal cannabis sales shortly thereafter when the White Earth Nation Tribal Council began to sell on the reservation to both tribal and non-tribal members the first week of August.

The Office of Cannabis Management predicted the state will need at least 381 dispensaries to meet the requirement for local governments to provide at least one retail shop per every 12,500 residents.

Now read: Minnesota Update: Salary For Prospective Cannabis Czar, First Municipally-Run Weed Store, Pot Goes Missing At Tribal Shop

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