ST. PAUL -- Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton Thursday signed into law a bill to allow the use of medical marijuana.
Unlike many major bills, the signing was not held in public.
Dayton released a statement: “I pray it will bring to the victims of ravaging illnesses the relief they are hoping for.”
The bill to allow Minnesotans to use marijuana extracts was one of the most watched issues of the Legislature that adjourned for the year two weeks ago. It allows patients to use pill and liquid forms of marijuana for specific conditions ranging from cancer to seizures.
About 5,000 people a month are expected to use marijuana, but supporters of broader legislation say more than 30,000 people were left out of the final bill.
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The marijuana will not be available for about a year.
The new law creates a task force to study the impact of medical marijuana.
