Proposed Minnesota Constitutional Amendment Ballot Question
Minnesota NORML approved the following proposed constitutional amendment to the Minnesota Constitution as a general election ballot question on June 15, 2019. #LetThePeopleDecide
In order for this to appear on the general election ballot, both the Minnesota House and the Minnesota Senate must approve a Bill. But the Governor could not veto.
Proposed text, with explanatory annotation, appears below.
The official ballot title:
“Guarantee Equal Rights to Marijuana as to Beer and Wine.”
(Previous example: “Remove Lawmakers’ Power to Set Their Own Pay”)
Ballot summary – Minnesota Constitutional Amendment
The official ballot text is as follows:
“Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to guarantee the rights of the People to marijuana, as to beer and wine?”
(Previous constitutional amendment example: “Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to remove state lawmakers’ power to set their own salaries, and instead establish an independent, citizens-only council to prescribe salaries of lawmakers?”)
Yes …
No …
”Constitutional changes”
See also: Article I, Minnesota Constitution
The ballot measure would add a Section 18 to Article I of the Minnesota Constitution. And it would add the following text:
Sec.18. a. The rights of the people to cannabis, including marijuana and hemp, shall not be restricted, regulated or taxed in any way more than the laws restrict, regulate or tax the people’s rights to alcoholic beverages, including beer and wine.
b. A patient, upon the advice of their physician, may use, grow, and possess a plant of the genus Cannabis, or its product, for the treatment or alleviation of disease, or debilitating medical conditions; and the laws may not restrict, regulate or tax medical cannabis in any way more than the laws restrict, regulate or tax other medicines and medical products.
Delayed effective date: This constitutional amendment will take effect five years after its approval by the people, so the legislature will have an opportunity to amend existing laws should it so desire.
Minnesota voters can vote on a proposed amendment to the Minnesota Constitution, on the general election ballot. And we’ve done this many times over the years. The Minnesota legislature has information on the history and the process of constitutional amendment ballot questions.