You have probably heard by now, Minnesota has legalized possession of Marijuana, as of July 1 of this year. This will make obtaining it much easier, but it does not mean there are no rules; there are still limits on the amount one can grow and/or possess, and the rules regarding sales are yet to be developed. Although other drugs remain illegal, however one feels about marijuana use, whether one uses it, or like me does not, banning its use has been a failure, as was banning alcohol use in the early 20th century. Billions of dollars were spent prosecuting nonviolent users, as with alcohol prohibition. Criminal elements step in when a popular product is made illegal and many lives have been ruined with petty possession convictions that prevented people from obtaining jobs, student financial aid, or housing. This was all done with no actual evidence that marijuana was any more dangerous than alcohol or cigarettes, two legal and widely used substances. Prosecution was also not consistent, falling more heavily on people of color and those with fewer resources.

I hope to never again have people calling me because they are being prosecuted for having a small amount of marijuana.

Ed