By Andy Birkey

While legislators debate making marijuana legal for individuals suffering from debilitating illness, law enforcement has testified that medical marijuana would post a risk to public safety. But as the Humphrey Institute’s Smart Politics reports, Minnesota law enforcement has scaled back its marijuana enforcement efforts significantly in the last few years.

Marijuana arrests per 100,000 residents dipped from a high of 227.5 in 2002 to 171.8 in 2007. At the same time, marijuana use among Minnesotans appears to have remained the same, with 11 percent reporting at least annual use between 2005 and 2006.

Minnesota already has one of the nation’s most relaxed marijuana laws. Possession of a small amount (less than 1.5 ounces) is treated like a traffic offense, with confiscation, a fine of $200 and possible drug treatment courses.