ST. PAUL — As Minnesota gets closer to issuing the first licenses to sellers of legal marijuana, the Legislature is working on law changes to further develop the growing cannabis economy in Minnesota.
Lawmakers are working on an omnibus bill designed to help streamline licensing and make changes to rules on already available products that contain THC, the active ingredient of marijuana. Specifically, language in the bill would help THC beverage companies expand their businesses and make Minnesota a more desirable market for new THC-beverage businesses.
The bill would remove some requirements within the application process for marijuana sellers that are unnecessary with the goal of speeding up the licensing process without sacrificing quality assurance.
The legislation would also allow for varying types of licenses, such as low-potency hemp wholesale licenses, as well as changes that Interim Director of the Office of Cannabis Management Eric Taubel said are focused on licensing rollout.
“We create a licensing variance for testing facilities,” Taubel said. “This is designed to ensure that the markets are able to launch effectively and have the kind of testing capacity we need to ensure that products are safe.”
The bill would also provide visiting medical patients the same rights as state medical cannabis users and set up more protections for in-state medical cannabis patients.
“We’re making changes to ensure that telehealth is actually accessible for medical cannabis patients,” Taubel said. “We’re strengthening protections for those patients in areas of employment, education and where they live.”
The bill would allow THC beverages to label 10 milligram drinks as a single serving instead of the current requirement of two servings. This change would make it easier for companies to sell their products in other states, where non-single serving THC drinks aren’t allowed.
Glenn McElfresh, co-founder of THC beverage company Plift Beverage, said this change coupled with changes from last year’s cannabis bill make Minnesota a great market for startup THC beverage companies.
“Minnesota has set the stage for what a hemp beverage regulatory framework should look like,” McElfresh said. “Minnesota’s a nation-leading market with steady growth, educated consumers [and] a network of retailers, distributors and manufacturers who want to see hemp beverages flourish.”
Minnesota legalized cannabis for use by adults in 2023, but a system to regulate and license growers and sellers has been slow to get started.
On April 7, the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management announced that an administrative law judge had approved its proposed rules governing the state’s adult use cannabis market, and that it expected to begin issuing licenses soon.
The goal was to unveil cannabis stores earlier this year with the help of a preapproval license lottery that aimed to help disadvantaged businesses get a head start, as well as a regular license lottery. A lawsuit delayed part of the process, but the office said more than 600 applicants are in line to soon receive licenses after completing several requirements, which include background checks, labor agreements and local government approvals.
Report for Minnesota is a project of the University of Minnesota’s Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication to support local news in all areas of the state.
The bill would allow THC beverages to label 10 milligram drinks as a single serving instead of the current requirement of two servings in the state of Minnesota. Read More
