WHERE THEY LAY ON THESE ISSUES AND MAKE DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES.

>> Barry: ONE OF THE TOPICS WE WERE DISCUSSING AT SOME LENGTH A FEW WEEKS AGO WHEN WE WERE REGULARLY HAVING THIS PROGRAM BEFORE FLOOR SESSION AND OTHER THINGS INTERVENE WAS THE PROGRESS ON THE MARIJUANA BILL, AND THERE'S BEEN PRESS COVERAGE, AND I THINK ONE MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATURE SUGGESTED MAYBE THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT WILL BE TAKEN UP NEXT YEAR.

LET'S START WITH YOU, SENATOR LUCERO.

I DON'T THINK WE PICKED ON YOU TO BEGIN WITH FOR A WHILE.

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE MARIJUANA LEGISLATION, IF ANYTHING?

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN?

GIVE OUR VIEWERS AN UPDATE.

>> THANK YOU, BARRY FOR THAT.

SO FAR I'M BATTING ZERO, BECAUSE I HAVE NOT BEEN ON ANY OF THE COMMITTEES.

I COME TO THE HOUSING COMMITTEE, AND ENERGY COMMITTEE, SO I HAVE NOT SEEN THAT LEGISLATION YET.

>> Barry: WE WILL PICK ON YOU THERE, AND ANYWAY, GO ON ABOUT THE MARIJUANA THING.

>> APPRECIATE IT.

GENERALLY SPEAKING, WHAT I CAN SAY IS THERE ARE CERTAINLY PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS, VERY GOOD PEOPLE.

VERY GENUINE, HONEST PEOPLE.

CERTAINLILY MYSELF I DO NOT SUPPORT RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.

WHAT I DO SUPPORT IS MEDICAL MARIJUANA BECAUSE THERE ARE CLEAR PROPERTIES THAT THC OR OTHER PARTS OF THE -- NOT A MARIJUANA EXPERT AT ALL IN ANY CAPACITY.

BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THERE ARE VERY VALUABLE BENEFITS.

SO IN THAT ASPECT, VERY MUCH IN FAVOR, BECAUSE GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT GET IN THE WAY AND SHOULD NOT LIMIT PEOPLE FROM ACCESS TO ANYTHING THAT WOULD HELP THEM IN PAIN OR ANY OTHER REMEDIES THAT THAT MIGHT EXIST IN TERMS OF RECREATION, THOUGH, AND THAT'S A KEARNEY DO NOT SUPPORT.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THOSE FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE LEGALIZED THIS, WHETHER WE HEAR FROM THE VOICES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE VOICES OF EMPLOYERS, AND OTHER VOICES THERE ARE HIGH CONCERNS AND THE STRUGGLES THAT COME ALONG WITH LEGALIZING RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA IS AMONG THOSE THAT I DO NOT SUPPORT.

>> Barry: SENATOR BOLDON, THE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA BILLS, YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.

>> I SUSPECT THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE WILL GET DONE THIS YEAR.

I ANTICIPATE THAT WILL BE THE CASE.

THE BILL, MY UNDERSTANDING, I HAVEN'T SEEN THE BILL IN A WHILE.

IT DID COME FROM HHS, BUT THIS IS THE BILL THAT HOLDS THE RECORD FOR THE MOST NUMBER OF COMMITTEE STOPS AND GOES TO ALMOST EVERY COMMITTEE, NOT QUITE, BUT ALMOST.

SO IT'S BEEN SOME TIME, AND IT HAS UNDERGONE MANY CHANGES TO IT OVER THE COURSE OF TIME.

WHICH IS GOOD.

THAT'S THE COMMITTEE TO TAKE FEEDBACK.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS I BELIEVE WE ARE NEARING THE END OF ITS COMMITTEE PATH.

I ANTICIPATE WE WILL SEE IT RIGHT NOW ON THE FLOOR.

BROADLY SPEAKING, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF CANNABIS.

WE HAVE A SYSTEM RIGHT NOW THAT IS NOT WORKING AND SO I SUPPORT PEOPLE ARE USING PERSONALIZED USE CANNABIS.

SO, YOU KNOW, IN MY VIEW, PUTTING IN SOME REGULATIONS AROUND THAT, AND PEOPLE ARE PURCHASING IT AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S IN IT.

THEY DON'T KNOW THE CONCENTRATION.

SO FOR THAT REASON, AS WELL AS THERE'S A LONG HISTORY OF REGIONAL JUSTICE AND FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS AND I DO THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE WILL GET DONE THIS YEAR.

>> Barry: REPRESENTATIVE HEINTZEMAN, YOUR THOUGHTS.

>> I THINK THE LIKELIHOOD OF ACTION IS HIGH.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A 300 PAGE BILL IN THE HOUSE, WHICH IS JUST AN AMAZING REGULATION, THERE'S SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS.

I WOULD FULLY AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE, SENATOR LUCERO IN TERMS OF THE GUARDRAILS THAT NEED TO BE THERE FOR THOSE THAT HAVE A MEDICAL NEED.

I THINK THAT IS A SEPARATE ISSUE, THOUGH, FROM WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT IN RECREATIONAL USE, AND THE IMPACTS ARE TRIFOLD.

THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BUSINESSES WHO HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND WHAT IT MIGHT MEAN FOR THEM TO TRY TO KEEP THEIR EMPLOYEES AND THE PUBLIC SAFE, HIGHWAY EQUIPMENT, FOR ONE, THE JOB THAT WE ARE COMPLICATING IN LAW ENFORCEMENT IN KEEPING OUR ROADS SAFE, THERE IS NO BREATH LASER TO LOOK FOR THC AND A ROAD SOBRIETY TEST IS YOUR ONLY OPTION WHERE YOU ARE HAVING TO GO THROUGH ALL THE STEPS PRMPLING IF SOMEBODY IS IMPAIRED OR NOT.

THAT'S DIFFICULT.

IT'S GOING TO BE A REAL CHALLENGE.

JUST A TRACK RECORD WILL BE THE THIRD LEG OF THIS ISN'T GOOD.

LAST SESSION, ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HAVE THC LACED GUMMIES THAT WERE JUST SHOWING UP.

VERY LITTLE DEBATE AND CONVERSATION, MAYBE IT WAS AN ACCIDENT.

I DON'T KNOW.

THERE'S JUST NOT BEEN, I THINK, THE KIND OF ATTENTION TO THIS ISSUE AND THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS, BOTH NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE, IN THE WAY THAT I THINK IT SHOULD.

I DON'T THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD MOVE FORWARD.

QUITE HONESTLY, I HAVE GOT TO ASK WHY.

MY FRIENDS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE ARE REGULATING THINGS LIKE FLAVORED VAPE PRODUCTS AND LOOKING AT THE POTENTIAL DANGER TO OUR KIDS AND TO THE PUBLIC ON PRODUCTS LIKE THAT BUT THEN COMPLETELY, IN MY OPINION, IGNORING THE HUGE PROBLEMS THAT RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA WOULD CREATE IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

I JUST THINK THIS IS THE WRONG DIRECTION AND A TERRIBLE POLICY FOR OUR STATE.