Why can Minnesotans soon have up to 2 pounds of marijuana? – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

CANNON FALLS, Minn. – When Minnesota’s recreational marijuana law kicks in, not only will residents be allowed to smoke weed – they’ll also have the highest possession limit in the country.

Business is cooking at Minny Grown in Cannon Falls, where Zach Rohr is the founder and CEO.

“We create everything seed to sale. We create THC gummies, as well as THC beverages down here,” Rohr said.

MORE: Planning on smoking cannabis at the Minnesota State Fair? Think again, organizers say

Fueling their products is hemp, a cannabis plant that looks and smells like marijuana, but doesn’t have as much THC in it. That’s the ingredient that gets people high.

Twenty-three states have legalized recreational marijuana. Some only allow 1 ounce inside homes, like California, Washington and Nevada. Colorado gets 2 ounces. It jumps to 10 ounces for Michigan, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

The next highest from there? Minnesota: 2 pounds, or 32 ounces.

So why is Minnesota allowing possession up to 2 pounds? WCCO News asked that question to DFL Sen. Lindsey Port, the chief author of the State Senate’s legalization bill.

MORE: ATF says until recreational cannabis is federally legalized, pot users cannot own guns

“We wanted to decriminalize as much as possible, but we also wanted to make sure that we had an ability to control the illicit market,” Port said. “We…