Recreational pot legislation clears first hurdle in Minnesota

@ap.news FILE – In this Aug. 15, 2019, file photo, marijuana grows at an indoor cannabis farm in Gardena, Calif. More changes are coming to Utah’s medical cannabis program bills in the state legislature, including easing patients’ struggle to find doctors willing to recommend the drug. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

Recreational marijuana legalization cleared its first hurdle Wednesday in Minnesota.

The House Commerce Committee passed the legislation, which would allow adults to buy and possess cannabis. The vote was 10-7 on party lines, with all Democrats supporting the measure and all Republicans opposed.

A second hearing is scheduled for next week.

Fifteen states have voted to legalize recreational marijuana use, and it could be on North Dakota’s ballot in 2022. South Dakota’s vote for legal cannabis is being challenged at state and local levels.

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