Gov. Walz’s Messy Handling of the Cannabis Department
When Minnesota Democrats legalized recreational cannabis last session, they claimed they had everything in place for a smooth transition into a burgeoning industry. However, everyone forgot to account for Minnesota Governor Tim Walz not having any idea what he was doing and the Democrats having no plans for recreational marijuana other than it would look good for their young voter base.
Before Erin DuPree stepped into the picture, the state had no one in charge of regulating the cannabis market. Instead, the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy, which has nothing to do with marijuana, had been left to deal with the ad-hoc regulation of the budding industry.
DuPree, a Minnesotan with two businesses under her belt, seemed like a promising choice to lead the newly formed Office of Cannabis Management. She had experience in the cannabis industry, having consulted for businesses in other states where marijuana was already legal.
Walz didn’t even get an entire day to pat himself on the back for putting this whole ‘I legalized a mind-altering substance without putting anyone in charge of it’ message to bed before it all fell apart.
Just one day after being appointed as Minnesota's cannabis czar, DuPree made an abrupt exit from the role. This unexpected twist came as a shock to many, given the high expectations that accompanied her appointment.
The abrupt departure followed reports from MPR News and the Star Tribune that shed light on concerning aspects of DuPree's business history. She was found to have sold products that exceeded state limits on THC potency and had outstanding tax liens and debts from previous business endeavors.
Walz didn’t do his due diligence, and if this woman’s wrongdoings hadn’t been discovered, who knows what she could’ve done to Minnesota? If she’s willing to break the law for the sake of profit, who knows what she could’ve done while being an active member of government?
The hasty appointment and subsequent resignation raised questions about the vetting process for key positions in his administration. Is there someone else Walz appointed that we should be looking into? We honestly can’t say for sure if there are more skeletons in Walz’s closet that news outlets haven’t reported yet.