>> ERIC: IN A FEW MINUTES, WE'LL LOOK AT STATE GRADUATION RATES, TALK WITH PAUL DOUGLAS ABOUT OUR RELUCTANT SPRING, LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BARRIERS TO PROSECUTING SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES.

BUT FIRST, TODAY'S STATE SENATE VOTE ON ADULT USE MARIJUANA.

>> CATHY: LATE THIS AFTERNOON, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE MINNESOTA SENATE PASSED A BILL TO LEGALIZE ADULT-USE OF MARIJUANA.

AS MARY LAHAMMER SHOWS US, THIS COMES DAYS AFTER THE HOUSE TOOK ACTION.

>> AN ACT RELATING TO CANNABIS.

>> Mary: THE HOUSE PASSED AN ENORMOUS, MORE THAN 300-PASSENGER BILL TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA IN MINNESOTA.

>> THE BILL IS PASSED AS AMENDED AND ITS TITLE AGREED TO.

>> MADAM SPEAKER.

>> 16 COMMITTEE HEARINGS, HOURS OF PUBLIC DEBATE AND OVER A DOZEN OF PUBLIC AMENDMENTS ADOPTED INTO THE BILL, WE ARE GOING TO PASS A BILL TO LEGALIZE CANNABIS OFF THE HOUSE FLOOR TODAY.

IT'S TIME.

MINNESOTANS DESERVE THE FREEDOM AND RESPECT TO MAKE RESPONSIBLE DECISIONS ABOUT CANNABIS THEMSELVES.

>> Mary: BIPARTISAN SUPPORT WAS REAL, BUT SO ARE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ABOUT POT IN THE STATE.

>> THE MAJORITY OF MINNESOTANS AGREE THAT THE TIME TO END MARIJUANA PROHIBITION IS HERE.

>> THERE IS A BROAD ARRAY OF VIEWPOINTS IN THE PARTY AND AMONG OUR CAUCUS.

THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT LEGALIZATION, SOME PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT DECRIMINALIZATION, SOME PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT EXPUNGEMENT, BUT WE ALL, NO MATTER WHERE OU LAND ON THOSE ISSUES, THIS BILL HAS A LOOT OF FLAWS.

>> MUST BE SAFETY CONCERNS, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER CONCERNS, THOSE COME WITH A COST.

THOSE COME WITH A COST PARTICULARLY TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES WHO WILL BEAR THE BRUNT OF THAT COST WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC SAFETY.

AND THE PUBLIC EXPECTS US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT TAKING RESOURCES FROM THE GENERAL FUND OR OUR SCHOOLS OR OUR NURSING HOMES OR ANYTHING ELSE TO PAY TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA.

>> Mary: A LONG DEBATE STARTED AFTER DARK AND STRETCHED INTO A SECOND DAY.

>> THERE IS NO CURRENT TEST, LIKE A ROADSIDE TEST LIKE WE DO WITH ALCOHOL, FOR CANNABIS THAT OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS CAN USE.

>> AS A FORMER LEADER IN THE CANNABIS COMMUNITY, I TRAVELED THE STATE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS TALKING TO MINNESOTANS, BORDER TO BORDER, AND THE PEOPLE WHO SHOWED UP O MAKE SURE THEIR VOICES WERE HEARD ON THIS BILL WERE OVERWHELMINGLY ASKING US TO CONTINUE TO PURSUE JUSTICE AND THAT'S WHAT DEFINING SOCIAL EQUITY APPLICANTS DO IN A GOOD LEGAL MARKET.

>> 34 AYEs, 3 NOs, THE BILL IS PASSED AND ITS TITLE IS AGREED TO.

>> Mary: WITH A PARTY-LINE ONE-VOTE MARGIN, THE SENATE PASSED CANNABIS LEGALIZATION FOR THE FIRST TIME BUT THE BILL DIFFERS FROM THE HOUSE.

>> THE SENATE IS NOW ADJOURNED.

[Cheering] >> THERE IS A STRONG TEMPTATION TO TRY TO BE FUNNY THIS MORNING AND TALK ABOUT ALL THE PUNS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING A JOINT BILL THAT EVERYBODY HASHED OUT ABOUT THE THE REALITY IS, THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS PARTICULAR BILL THAT'S UP TODAY ON THE SENATE FLOOR ARE VERY DIRE FOR THE STATE OF MINNESOTA AND IT IS NOT A JOKING MATTER.

>> THIS BILL IS PREMATURE.

IT IS JUST NOT READY.

AND THERE ARE MANY REASONS FOR THAT.

I'LL JUST LIST A FEW OF THEM.

PUBLIC SAFETY IS NUMBER ONE.

>> Mary: THE HEAD OF THE MINNESOTA TRUCKING ASSOCIATION SHARES THE SENTIMENT.

>> AS A HIGHWAY SAFETY ORGANIZATION, WE'RE VERY CONCERNED IT DOES NOT PROPERLY ADDRESS HIGHWAY SAFETY.

WE KNOW RIGHT NOW THE BILL DOES NOT HAVE THE MECHANISM TO DETERMINE IMPAIRMENT ROADSIDE.

WE SEE DATA FROM COLORADO THAT SHOWS THAT AFTER THEY LEGALIZED RECREATIONAL CANNABIS, HIGHWAY TRAFFIC FATALITIES INVOLVING CANNABIS WENT UP 138%.

YOU'RE STANDING UP A WHOLE NEW AGENCY THAT'S -- THAT JUST TAKES TIME.

>> Mary: SUPPORTERS SAY, THEIR GOALS ARE SIMPLE.

LEGALIZE, REGULATE AND EXPUNGE.

>> THE PROHIBITION OF CANNABIS IS A FAILED SYSTEM THAT HAS NOT ACHIEVED THE ESIRED GOALS AND HAS HAD INCREDIBLE COST FOR OUR COMMUNITIES.

ESPECIALLY FOR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.

>> THE TAX RATE IS HELPING US CREATE THAT NEW REGULATED MARKET, THAT IT'S PAYING FOR THAT.

>> PROSECUTE MY DISTRICT, Mr. PRESIDENT, IF I WERE TO VOTE FOR THIS, IT WOULD BE POPULAR.

BUT, MR. PRESIDENT, I DIDN'T COME HERE TO BE POPULAR, AT LEAST IN THIS REGARD.

I CAME HERE TO BE RESPONSIBLE.

>> MAKING IT A CRIME, PROHIBITION AS WE'VE DONE HERE FOR SO MANY DECADES, IT JUST HASN'T WORKED.

>> THIS BILL IS ABOUT I.T.

IT'S ABOUT FREEDOM, IT'S ABOUT JUSTICE.

>> WE KNOW THAT BIG TOBACCO TARGETED YOUTH AND WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT BIG CANNABIS IS GOING TO TARGET YOUTH.

DO WHERE HE REALLY HAVE ENOUGH IN THE BILL TO DEAL WITH THAT?

AND WE THINK THE QUICK ANSWER IS NO, SO LET'S TAKE THE TIME, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SAY, OPPONENTS ARE FARE-MONGERS.

NO, WE'RE TRUTH-TELLERS THAT HAVE DATA AND EXPERIENCE FROM OTHER STATES WHO HAVE LEGALIZED IT AND WE SEE WHAT REALLY HAPPENS IN THE NEGATIVE WAY.

>> SOCIAL USTICE ISSUES, DECRIMINALIZATION, AGAIN, THEY CAN O WITH THAT NOW OR IN A YEAR.

I THINK THEY'RE DOING TO.

HAVE WE THOUGHT THROUGH ALL THE DOWNSTREAM IMPACTS?

BIG CITY, LITTLE CITY, IMPACTS THEM ALL.

>> CATHY: WITH TODAY'S VOTE, THE HOUSE AND SENATE WILL NEED TO RECONCILE THE DIFFERENCES IN THEIR BILLS.

MARY LAHAMMER IS WITH US WITH A QUICK PRIMER ON WHAT MAY HAPPEN NEXT.

WELL, ANY SURPRISES?

IT WAS A STRAIGHT PARTY-LINE VOTE.

>> I WOULD SAY IT IS SOMEWHAT OF A SURPRISE BECAUSE IT WASN'T CLEAR THAT YOU HAVE THE VOTES.

I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU SCHEDULE A BILL LIKE THIS WOULD YOU TELL US HAVING THE VOTES BUT THERE WAS STILL A LOT OF DRAMA IN THE LAST 24 HOURS, DO THEY HAVE THE VOTES, DON'T THEY?

DID THE AMENDMENT THAT WENT ON GAIN VOTES, LOSE VOTES?

THEY WERE IN AND OUT OF RESOURCE DURING THE VOTING TODAY SO THERE WAS A LITTLE DRAMA BUT WE COULD SKI IN A FEW OF THE PROCEDURAL VOTES ALONG THE WAY, WE WERE GETTING KIND OF A MARKER THAT ALL 34 DEMOCRATS AND ONE VOTE MARGIN AND DEMOCRATS CONTINUE TO HOLD TOGETHER ON EVERY BIG VOTE.

IT'S REALLY KIND OF A SURPRISE BECAUSE ESPECIALLY THE SENATE HAS SOME MORE MODERATE DEMOCRATS, SOME MORE VULNERABLE DEMOCRATS AND THEY ALL HELD TOGETHER.

>> Eric: FIVE MEMBERS FROM THE HOUSE AND FIVE FROM THE SENATE NOW MEET IN CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.

SOUNDS LIKE THEY CAN FIND COMMON GROUND.

>> YEAH, THEY'RE NOT DRAMATICALLY FAR APART AS YOU KNOW.

A LITTLE BIT OF TAX PERCENTAGE, THE SENATE HAS A 10% TAX RATE, THE HOUSE HAS 8%, MAYBE THEY MEET AT 9, I DON'T KNOW.

MAYBE WE CAN DO THAT MATH.

ONE OF THE MORE INTERESTING AMENDMENTS THAT DID GO ON TODAY IS A LITTLE BIT OF LOCAL CONTROL, NOT THE FULL LOCAL JURISDICTIONS CAN'T SAY NO POT IN OUR BORDERS BUT IT DOES ALLOW SOME OF THE SMALLER CITIES TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF DISPENSARIES SO THAT GAVE A LITTLE MODICUM OF LOCAL CONTROL, AND THEN LSO SOME REAL MONEY, ABOUT $10 MILLION WENT ON FOR MORE, EAH, ADDICTION.

>> Eric: BUT THIS IS NOT A BIG REVENUE RAISER FOR THE STATE AND I THINK PEOPLE FEEL THIS WILL BE OCEANS OF MONEY POURING INTO THE STATE NOW ON MARIJUANA BUT NOT REALLY.

>> Mary: NOT OCEANS BUT IT COULD BE SIGNIFICANT.

IT'S HARD TO DO A FISCAL NOTE.

CAN YOU ACCURATELY PREDICT HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO BRING IN?

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN.

>> Cathy: THERE ARE MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS AROUND LEGALIZING MARIJUANA.

IS THERE ANY MONEY, THEN, FOR TREATMENT IS THIS YOU MENTIONED ADDICTION BUT ANY OTHER -- >> Mary: YEAH, AND THAT WAS ADDED INTO THE SENATE BILL TODAY AND THAT GAVE JOHN HOFFMAN, WHO'S, AGAIN, ANOTHER KIND OF MODERATE DEMOCRATS HAD SOME CONCERNS AND THAT'S WHEN THEY WENT INTO RECESS AFTER THAT SO THAT BROUGHT SOME DRAMA AND INTEREST, YOU KNOW, AND THOSE WERE BIPARTISAN AMENDMENTS THAT WENT ON TODAY, SO IT WAS INTERESTING THE END THAT IT WAS A PARTY-LINE VOTE.

ESPECIALLY IN THE HOUSE, BECAUSE HOUSE DEMOCRATS PICKED UNTWO REPUBLICANS WHO WERE YES VOTES AND THERE ARE AS MANY AS DOZENS OF REPUBLICANS WHO WANT THE IDEA OF MAYBE SOME EXPUNGEMENT, MAYBE SOME, REALLY BASIC STEPS TOWARDS LEGALIZATION.

WHAT REPUBLICANS HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WITH IS WHERE THIS LANGUAGE IS.

IT'S TOO MUCH FOR THEM.

>> Eric: CAN THEY GET THIS UP AND RUNNING BY AUGUST?

>> >> Mary: THAT'S THE COMPLAINT YOU JUST HEARD IN THE PIECE, THIS IS AWFULLY FAST.

BOTH HOUSE AND SENATE HAS LEGALIZATION HAPPENING THIS SUMMER AND YOU HAVE TO STAND UP A WHOLE NEW AGENCY TO RUN THIS AND IT REALLY DOESN'T SOUND LIKE IT WOULD TURN, YOU KNOW, THE EXISTING CBD OR HEMP OPERATIONS INTO MARIJUANA OPERATIONS, THIS LOOKS LIKE IT WILL BE A SEPARATE LANE, SEPARATE LICENSING STRUCTURE, SO DECEMBER EXPENSERIES ARE GOING TO HAVE TO START FROM SCRATCH AND THE THOUGHT IS THAT'S GOING TO BE 6, 1, 4 MONTHS OUT.