MINNEAPOLIS — Recreational Marijuana is close to becoming legal here in Minnesota.
And as we get closer to that day, we know a lot of you out there have questions... Questions some may be too afraid to ask
I spoke with Jason Tarasek with Minnesota Cannabis Law to get the answers to some of your top questions.
Will your employer be allowed to fire you if you test positive for THC?
Tarasek: We have a hemp-derived edible product law that went in place in July, so people have been consuming up to 5 milligrams of THC per serving since July. So there's no way to distinguish whether the THC came from hemp or marijuana. ... Unless you're in a sort of safety sensitive role or if your employer has some link to a federal contract that might make them enforce a zero tolerance policy, your job is probably safe here in Minnesota.
How will this impact law enforcement sobriety checks?
Tarasek: If you're impaired, you shouldn't be driving. You shouldn't be on the roads. Cops can use field sobriety tests to measure impairment. The bill allocates a lot of money towards drug recognition experts so that law enforcement officials will be trained to recognize if someone is impaired by marijuana.
If passed, how soon will you be able to purchase adult-use marijuana?
Tarasek: It's going to take a while — it takes a as long time to set up this program. The Office of Cannabis Management at this moment does not exist, and they need to create that. It's projected to have as many as 100 employees, so it's going to take some time to set that up. I expect they'll start taking licenses from cannabis businesses early to mid 2024, and maybe the first dispensaries will be open late 2024, early 2025.
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