"I started this": Fmr. Gov. Jesse Ventura reiterates support for legalizing recreational cannabis in Minnesota Senate hearing
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A former Minnesota governor is vocally pushing to legalize recreational marijuana, and soon.
Jesse Ventura testified in front of a Minnesota Senate committee Thursday in support of legalizing recreational cannabis use for adults in Minnesota.
"I started this. And as governor, I believed in hemp and cannabis back then. I believe in it even more now," Ventura said. "And I want to be here. I'm still alive, I'm still kicking, and I want to be here when this passes into law."
Ventura says this was his first time testifying in front of a Minnesota legislative committee. He was elected governor in 1998 as a Reform Party candidate, serving one term in office.
Last November, Ventura announced on a podcast appearance that current Gov. Tim Walz told him that a cannabis bill would be "one of the first" things passed this legislative session. He also said Walz invited him to the prospective bill-signing ceremony. Walz's office confirmed the exchange.
The Minnesota House passed a cannabis bill last spring that, among other things, would expunge low-level marijuana-related convictions.
Last summer, a law allowing beverages and edibles to contain a small amount of hemp-derived THC went into effect.
Medical marijuana became legal in Minnesota in 2014. It's one of the most restrictive programs of its kind in the U.S., allowing just 19 qualifying conditions for approval.
