MN SF3481

Increases weight thresholds for controlled substance crimes in first, second, and third degree offenses for cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and other drugs, making lower-level possession and sales offenses harder to prosecute.

Creates new offense of manufacturing any amount of methamphetamine as first-degree crime and establishes offense for possessing trace amounts of controlled substances.

Eliminates mandatory minimum sentences for lower-level controlled substance possession crimes while maintaining them for higher-level offenses and allowing prosecutors to request sentencing without mandatory minimums.

Establishes community justice reinvestment account funded by general fund transfers ($488,000 in fiscal year 2017, $461,000 base thereafter) to support chemical dependency treatment, mental health programs, and drug court initiatives.

Appropriates $1.362 million in fiscal year 2017 for forensic scientists, corrections beds, chemical dependency release planners, and Sentencing Guidelines Commission implementation.