Medical marijuana activists see the state’s new law as only the beginning of broader reform. They’ve vowed to continue fighting at the capitol and extend coverage to thousands more Minnesotans.
Success or failure depends not only on the stamina of such activists, but on the outcome of this fall’s elections, particularly in the race for governor. Of course, a lot can happen in a year. But it’s worth considering where the remaining candidates stand on this single issue to get a better sense of the difficulty of the task ahead.
On the right, Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson has emerged as both the MN GOP endorsee and the only supporter of medical marijuana (now that State Sen. Dave Thompson has bowed out). Although Johnson considers himself a “pretty strong social conservative,” he’s expressed repeated support for Illinois’ four-year pilot program, which allows smoking and covers a relatively wide range of illnesses. It more closely resembles the Minnesota Senate proposal that got eclipsed in the final bill here.
Minneapolis City Pages has the full story.
