A Minnesota Senator doesn’t foresee the state legalizing recreational marijuana this year.
This is likely to be a hot-button topic when the legislative session gets underway next month.
Tom Baak, who represents the Koochiching County area, says while the issue is generating a lot of headlines, he’s not ready to support it yet.
“I think we would be wise to take some time and see what the experience of other states have been on this before we rush too fast,” says Baak.
He says states are learning a lot from Colorado who legalized marijuana in 2014.
Baak says the state spends more in its state budget than they raise in tax revenue on all of the costs associated with legalization.
He adds those who advocate for legalization in Minnesota are promoting the financial benefits, something he says is the wrong reason to support it.
