Minnesota Drug Policy & Legislation
Creating the Task Force on Holistic and Effective Responses to Illicit Drug Use
Passed in 2024, this law established the Task Force on Holistic and Effective Responses to Illicit Drug Use “to review the reports on approaches to address illicit drug use in Minnesota…; develop a phased timeline for implementation of policy changes; and make policy and funding recommendations to the legislature.”
Session laws 2024, Chapter 123, Art. 25, Section 17
Funding for Safe Recovery Sites
In May 2023, the Minnesota Legislature approved funding for Safe Recovery Sites run by independent organizations. The funding could support up to 15 sites across Minnesota. The primary function of these sites is to save lives through overdose and disease prevention.
Enabling the Report on Approaches to Address Illicit Drug Use in Minnesota
This law enabled the creation of “a study and set of reports on illicit drug use in Minnesota describing current responses to that use, reviewing alternative approaches utilized in other jurisdictions, and making policy and funding recommendations for a holistic and effective response to illicit drug use and the illicit drug trade.”
Legalization of Drug Paraphernalia
In 2023, changes to state statutes significantly changed the definition and legality of drug paraphernalia, per MDH.
First, the possession of all drug paraphernalia is no longer a crime in Minnesota, even if that paraphernalia contains residual amounts of controlled substances. (Minn. Stat. § 152.025 subd. 2). Second, syringes and any drug checking instruments used for “testing the strength, effectiveness, or purity of a controlled substance” are no longer considered drug paraphernalia. (Minn. Stat. § 152.01 subd. 18)
It is still unlawful for any person to manufacture paraphernalia for delivery. (Minn. Stat. § 152.093).