Minnesota

Trademark and Patent Challenges Loom for Minnesota Cannabis Businesses as Legalization Approaches. When the sale of recreational cannabis becomes legal in Minnesota next year, retailers such as dispensaries will likely be working to get licenses for their stores, as a comprehensive licensing system

New numbers from Minnesota's Office of Cannabis Management show who is fighting to get into the budding industry. More than 1,800 applications have been filed for a lottery to win business license pre-approvals. They'll become licenses once the infrastructure for the system is set up. Angela Dawson

In many markets, THCA products exist in a legal gray area. It looks like marijuana, smells like marijuana, and when consumed, feels exactly like marijuana. But according to the businesses selling it, this isn’t marijuana at all; it’s hemp, rich in a compound called THCA. And it’s popping up in smoke

Those chosen among the 1,800 pre-applications will have a head start when Minnesota issues licenses, likely next year. More than half of the early social equity applicants vying to be first in line to receive Minnesota cannabis licenses live in other states. The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM)

Garrison Hemp Fest featured local and regional cannabis vendors from across the state. Organizers deemed the first Garrison Hemp Fest a success. The festival welcomed more than 500 people to Jake Regan Park in Garrison on Aug. 10, said one of the event organizers, Luke McCapes. The free-to-attend

Minnesota's Journey to Legal Marijuana: Progress and Challenges One Year After Legalization. It was Aug. 1, 2023, when self-described weed nerds at First Avenue were celebrating the legalization of recreational marijuana. But experts say while Minnesota has come a long way when it comes to legal

Minnesota's Recreational Cannabis Industry Faces Delays as Regulations and Licensing Take Shape. A year into legal recreational cannabis in Minnesota, the state still isn't totally open for business as the new office of Cannabis Management looks to get the final pieces in place. With regulations and

Temporary Ban Approved as Officials Address Details of Recreational Marijuana Sales in Minnesota. As the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) begins its preapproval process of social equity applicants to sell recreational marijuana in Minnesota, St. Louis County officials have voted to put a five

Waite Park City Council Implements Moratorium on Cannabis Businesses. The Waite Park City Council held a special meeting on Monday, July 22, to discuss an interim moratorium on cannabis businesses in the city until Jan. 1, 2025. The Waite Park City Council unanimously voted to adopt a short-term

Minnesota's On-Site THC Consumption Experiment Faces Insurance Challenges. Minnesota's pioneering approach to on-site THC consumption means insurers don't have a baseline to write policies around and thus are hesitant to offer coverage. The success of Minnesota's experiment allowing THC consumption

Drug-Impaired Driving Arrests Surge in Olmsted County Following Cannabis Legalization. he sheriff's office recorded four drug-impaired driving arrests in 2023. This year, there have been 32. In the first six months of 2023, the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office recorded four drug-impaired driving

Rice County Implements Moratorium on Cannabis Businesses in Rural Areas. Inside incorporated cities of Rice County, businesses that are part of the cannabis industry are still permitted to operate. In the rural areas though, they’re likely to wait until next year. The moratorium was placed by the