MN Dems Want Marijuana Party's 'Major' Status Revoked

ST. PAUL, MN — The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party on Tuesday asked the state Supreme Court to decertify the Legal Marijuana Now Party as a major political party.

Democrats argue the Legal Marijuana Now Party hasn’t complied with state election requirements to remain a "major" party in the state. The DFL said only itself and the Minnesota Republican Party truly qualify for major party status.

Under new state law, a party must have held a convention in 2022 for every congressional district and at least 45 county or legislative districts, among other requirements.

After two failed attempts, the Legal Marijuana Now Party resubmitted its certifications, "implausibly" claiming that they had held 76 conventions all on the same day during a one-hour window on June 8, from 8-9 p.m., according to the DFL's filing.

"The Legal Marijuana Now Party clearly failed to hold the required number of conventions in 2022 and also failed to establish and maintain the party infrastructure required by state law to earn major party status," the DFL said in a statement.

"After having their major party status certification rejected by the Secretary of State’s office, the Legal Marijuana Now Party resubmitted their certification and claimed, without evidence, to have held 76 conventions on a single day."

Some Democrats argue the Legal Marijuana Now Party is obsolete. Minnesota Democrats legalized recreational marijuana for adults last year, though marijuana is still technically outlawed under federal law.

"The Minnesota DFL and the Minnesota GOP are the only two political parties that meet that threshold," DFL Chairman Ken Martin in a statement.

"But fortunately, there is a major political party for legalization supporters – the party that actually legalized cannabis, the Minnesota DFL."

In a statement to Patch, Dennis Schuller, Chairman of Legal Marijuana Now, said that: "The Legal Marijuana Now Party stands united against the federal prohibition of marijuana. We did our due diligence and worked closely with the MN secretary of states office to comply with the rule changes recently passed to use specifically to target our party, our success and silence the voices of the thousands of Americans who have voted for us. I feel sad that the the un-democratic party has chosen this path and I am confident about the information we have provided the state."

Minnesota currently has three registered "minor" political parties:

• Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party (was previously a major party)
• Independence-Alliance Party
• Libertarian Party of Minnesota