Press Release

Yesterday, the Minnesota DFL filed a petition with the Minnesota Supreme Court seeking a declaration that the Legal Marijuana Now Party did not meet the requirements established in state law to qualify for major party status.

 

To qualify for major party status in 2024, a party must 1) have held a convention in 2022 for every congressional district and at least 45 county or legislative districts, 2) have an executive committee consisting of a chair and officers for each congressional district and at least 45 county or legislative districts, and 3) have obtained sufficient support from the voters in prior elections.

 

The Legal Marijuana Now Party filed two major party status certifications with the Secretary of State’s office that did NOT satisfy these requirements and were rejected by the Secretary of State’s office. After these two failed attempts, the Legal Marijuana Now Party resubmitted its certifications, claiming – implausibly – that they had held 76 conventions all on the same day during a one-hour window on June 8, from 8-9pm.

 

There is no evidence to support the Legal Marijuana Now Party’s assertion that it held the required number of conventions in 2022. In fact, contemporaneous social media documentation demonstrates that the June 8 meeting was the state convention – not any congressional, legislative, or county subdivisions, much less 75 of them – and was scheduled for one hour, from 8-9pm.

 

The Legal Marijuana Now Party also only fielded 12 candidates for office in 2022 – making the claim that they held 76 conventions in 2022 especially incredulous.

 

In addition to not holding the minimum number of conventions required by law in 2022, the Legal Marijuana Now Party also did not establish the local party infrastructure required by state law to earn major party status. The law states “each major political party shall also provide for each congressional district and at least 45 counties or legislative districts an executive committee consisting of a chair and such other officers as may be necessary.” There is no evidence that the Legal Marijuana Now Party ever established executive committees for anywhere close to 45 counties or legislative districts.

 

“The Legal Marijuana Now Party very clearly did not meet the requirements to qualify for major party status,” said DFL Chairman Ken Martin. “Every major party is expected to demonstrate that they are a serious organization by building their party and engaging voters in dozens of districts across Minnesota. The Minnesota DFL and the Minnesota GOP are the only two political parties that meet that threshold. But fortunately, there is a major political party for legalization supporters – the party that actually legalized cannabis, the Minnesota DFL.”

 

Last year, both the DFL and the Minnesota GOP supported raising the threshold required to achieve major party status in Minnesota.

 

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