Minnesota’s former governor is calling on people to boycott this year’s State Fair for prohibiting marijuana use at the venue while at the same time allowing attendees to consume alcohol and tobacco—even though the state enacted a cannabis legalization law last year. But while Jesse Venture is fired up about the fair’s policy, he’s also optimistic about the prospects of federal marijuana reform under a Harris-Walz administration.
In an interview with Marijuana Moment on Thursday, Ventura said he does hope that Vice President Harris Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic nominee, and her running mate, current Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), advocate for an end to federal cannabis prohibition on the campaign trail, saying it would be “smart for them to do so” given the popularity of the issue.
“If they would come out and say they would lift the federal ban on cannabis, marijuana, I think that could help ensure their victory,” he said. “There is a tremendous amount of cannabis users out there who would vote accordingly so that they would not feel, federally, like they’re still criminals in any way, shape or form.”
During her time in the Senate, Harris sponsored a comprehensive marijuana legalization bill, and she’s called for major reform as recently as March during a roundtable with presidential pardon recipients. Walz signed cannabis legalization into law in Minnesota last year—and he invited Ventura, a longstanding champion of reform, to attend the signing ceremony.
Despite Minnesota enacting legalization, however, Ventura says the State Fair is not allowing cannabis use, even as it makes accommodations for tobacco use in specific areas and will have alcohol available for purchase on-site at beer gardens and other vendors.
“It’s supposed to be legal in the state of Minnesota. How can they outlaw it at the State Fair when they allow tobacco and alcohol? And my point being is this: All we ask in the cannabis world is to treat us equally,” he said. “Treat us fairly. Treat us the same as you do tobacco and alcohol. And unfortunately, that’s not happening. We’re being discriminated against, even though it is now legal.”
“All cannabis smokers ought to boycott the State Fair,” Ventura, a former wrestler and actor, said. “Don’t go there until we’re given our equal rights and we’re treated equally to tobacco and alcohol.”
A spokesperson for the Minnesota State Fair confirmed in an email to Marijuana Moment that “the smoking and vaping of cannabis is prohibited on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds” during the 2024 event.
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