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Minneapolis council votes to decriminalize possession of drug paraphernalia, after heated debate
Summary
By 7–6 on April 23, the Minneapolis City Council adopted an ordinance to decriminalize possession of drug paraphernalia, aligning local code with Minnesota state law and advancing a harm‑reduction approach despite objections from some members citing public‑safety and transit policing concerns.
The Minneapolis City Council on April 23 adopted an ordinance to decriminalize possession of drug paraphernalia, a measure proponents called a public‑health step to reduce disease transmission and improve outreach to people who use drugs.
Council Member Chavez, the ordinance sponsor, framed the measure as aligning city code with Minnesota state law and as a tool to allow harm‑reduction workers to operate without fear of criminal penalties. "Drug use is a public health issue, and decriminalizing the possession of drug paraphernalia is a practical step towards treating it as such," she said while moving the ordinance.
The chamber heard two sharply distinct lines of…
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