Talking Points: What will Minnesota's future cannabis market look like?
ST. PAUL -- Marijuana may not be legal in Minnesota until Aug. 1, but the business of marijuana is already heating up. This week's Talking Points answers the lingering questions about the new law and its potential impact on the state.
This session, The Minnesota Legislature this session approved a 300-page bill that will allow adults 21 and older to use recreational marijuana and transform a black market into regulated, state-licensed businesses throughout the state.
New York consultant Ashley Picillo, founder and CEO of Point7 Group, told Esme Murphy she already has a Minnesota client base that wants to know how to make money off the new law. She explained the process of a start-up dispensary and how to prepare while the sales and license infrastructure is finalized in the state.
Possession for adults 21 and older will be lawful starting Aug. 1 with limits. Meanwhile, local law enforcement agencies are still navigating the murky turf between a substance that is still illegal at a federal level.
Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges addresses some confusion surrounding the new law with regard to gun ownership, DWI testing enforcement, and the potential community impacts.
Lawmakers, law enforcement, and Minnesotans are turning to Sen. Lindsey Port, one of the authors of the bill, for clarification ahead of the Aug. 1 legalization date. She shared what's being done now ahead of that date and what changes will be coming to the already established hemp THC edibles industry.
Talking Points airs every Wednesday and Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., live on CBS News Minnesota.