Marijuana legalization: Cannabis conference committee holds first public hearing

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A conference committee held its first public hearing Friday morning as Minnesota lawmakers hammer out the differences between the two marijuana legalization bills that have passed their respective houses.

You can watch the hearing in full in the player above. 

The House and Senate both passed slightly different versions of bills that would legalize recreational marijuana for adults in Minnesota. Both bills would allow people who are 21 and older to buy up to 2 ounces of cannabis flower, 8 grams of concentrate and 800 milligrams of edibles at once. It would also allow adults to grow up to eight cannabis plants. The differences in the bills relate to issues that include marijuana possession at home and tax rates for cannabis products. 

Members of the conference committee will vote on a compromise bill before it heads to Gov. Tim Walz's desk for his signature. Walz has said he will sign the bill into law.

Previous iterations of legislation that would legalize recreational usage have passed the House before but historically faced a roadblock in the GOP-controlled Senate. However, with the DFL taking control of the Senate in the previous election, establishing a trifecta of control, the measure was sure to be taken up again. 

Last year, the Minnesota Legislature approved legislation that legalized hemp-derived THC products in Minnesota – a move that some considered a "half-step" en route to full legalization. One that also added confusion for the legal hemp industry.