Medical marijuana is legal in 18 states and D.C. (https://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000881) With this past election, Colorado and Washington have now legalized recreational marijuana. The federal government has some things to say about that—marijuana is still a Schedule I illegal drug.
Minnesota, however, has run in the other direction, making synthetic marijuana illegal. In Minnesota, most drug crimes are felonies. But for a time, synthetic marijuana distribution carried the level of a gross misdemeanor. “A person who unlawfully sells any amount of a synthetic cannabinoid is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.” Minn. Stat. § 152.027, subdiv. 6(b). This is no longer the case. On August 1, 2012, the selling of synthetic drugs became a felony.
Synthetic drugs are now making the news in full force. From Duluth to the Twin Cities to the suburbs, synthetic drugs are popping up everywhere. Though the names of the drugs are simple, the cases can be complex. Minnesota Statute Section 152.02, subdiv. 2(h) lists the various compounds that are considered illegal. A long and complicated list, but extremely important in defense.
