The Legal Marijuana Now Party did not satisfy state requirements to qualify as a major political party in 2024, the Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously decided Friday.
The ruling means Legal Marijuana Now candidates will not automatically appear on the ballot for the November general election.
According to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office, if LMN decides to register as a minor political party, candidates can petition for a spot on the ballot by gathering the requisite number of signatures: 2,000 for a statewide race, 1,000 for a congressional race and 500 for legislative races. Those signatures will need to be collected between May 21 and June 4 for all contests aside from president and vice president, which have an Aug. 30 deadline.
Until another political party meets the more stringent requirements signed into law last year, only Democrats and Republicans enjoy major-party status in Minnesota.
DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin, who initiated the lawsuit against Legal Marijuana Now, applauded the court’s decision.
“After years of gamesmanship and chicanery, we are pleased with the court’s findings, which make it clear that the Legal Marijuana Now Party is not a major political party and should not be afforded the benefits that come with that status,” Martin said.
When petitioning the Supreme Court in February, Martin alleged Legal Marijuana Now did not satisfy new requirements to be eligible for major-party status. Among those changes were an increase in the minimum number of votes at least one candidate from each major party receives and the major party’s organizational structure requirements.
In March, Hennepin County Judge Edward Wahl recommended that Supreme Court justices strip LMN of its major-party status, noting that the party had between 10 and 20 dues-paying members in 2022, “an insuperable obstacle for LMNP’s ability to meet the statutory requirements to maintain its status as a major political party.”
H/T: kstp.com
