More fun to come with THC Drinks at stadiums and concerts in Minnesota
The "Land of 10,000 Lakes" may become the Land of 10,000 THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) Drinks as the Gopher State of Minnesota goes for cannabis beverages in stadiums, concerts and similar venues.
Recently, Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill into law to legalize recreational marijuana for individuals over 21 years of age in the state. Such move sets Minnesota as the 23rd state in the country to legalize weed for adults. THC is the major psychoactive component and one of the 113 cannabinoids recognized in cannabis. Former Gov. Jesse Ventura, who has been a long-time supporter and advocate for legalization attended the signing ceremony.
The THC beverage sales provisions in Minnesota's law have thrust the state into the position of one of the more intriguing markets in the country, according to Snowden Stieber, a regulatory analyst at the cannabis compliance software company Simplifya. "There remains much to be hammered out, but one could make a convincing argument that Minnesota could be the first state in the country to have a clear path to permitting sales of THC beverages at stadiums and concert venues," he explains to Cannabis Equipment News.
Nevertheless, cannabis beverages face an uphill battle as such beverage manufacturers may struggle to differentiate their products from already on the market hemp-based products. Last year, the Minnesota Legislature passed a bill legalizing THC in edible or drinkable form if derived from hemp which has 0.3% or less THC, which means hemp-derived products do not contain enough THC to create the “high” traditionally associated with marijuana. In turn, hemp-derived beverages have been on sale in the state since last July.
The lower psychotropic potency THC hemp edibles will continue to be legal in Minnesota, but such products will have to meet the same regulations set for the cannabis industry by the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), which will regulate the state's medical and adult-use markets as well as lower-potency hemp edibles.
By permitting Delta-9 THC from both varying sources, retailers, and manufacturers alike, will face customer queries to explain the difference between those derived product sources. Both hemp and marijuana plants are from the same species with the main difference being how much of a certain cannabinoid (in particular, THC) each contains. For the first time in the United States, THC products may be available and sold outside licensed cannabis dispensaries, like liquor and convenience stores.
According to Jordan Tait, operator of national hemp-derived product distributor, Distribution Wholesale, "the state of Minnesota has exposed and validated the market demand for low dose THC beverage products at retailers, including the probability for sales at sporting and concert venues. It will be exciting to witness and participate in the outcome."
At the top of the official seal in rays of light is the City of Minneapolis’ motto "En Avant," which in French means "forward." Needless to say, the Twin Cities and rest of the state of Minnesota forge forward where no cannabis has gone before.
