Minnesota

The Minnesota House voted this week to legalize adult-use cannabis; the Senate is expected to take up its own version of the legislation on Friday.

Minnesota state Rep. Andy Smith (D) proposed launching a task force to investigate the potential of psychedelics as mental illness treatments, prioritizing the substances LSD, MDMA, and psilocybin.

Minnesota House and Senate committees considered and adjusted proposals to legalize adult-use cannabis in the state this week.

For the first time ever, a Minnesota Senate committee heard testimony this week related to a cannabis legalization proposal — similar bills have passed the House but were blocked in the formerly Republican-controlled Senate.

The Minnesota House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee advanced a proposal to legalize adult-use cannabis last week.

Minnesota lawmakers’ proposal to legalize adult-use cannabis includes social equity considerations, home grow provisions, and an additional 8% tax on cannabis products.

During the first week of the 2023 legislative session, Minnesota Democrats — who recently gained majority control over both the House and Senate — introduced a plan to legalize adult-use cannabis.

The Minnesota Board of Pharmacy filed a lawsuit against Northland Vapor — creator of the “Death By Gummy Bears” line of edibles — alleging that the company’s products far exceed the state’s strict THC potency limits.

Minnesota’s Department of Health added obsessive-compulsive disorder and irritable bowel syndrome to its list of qualifying conditions for medical cannabis.

After Democrats won both chambers of the legislature in this month’s elections, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) said he believes the state could pass cannabis legalization reforms as soon as the next session.

The Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party in Minnesota has lost its major party status in the state due to its inability to garner 5% of the votes in each of the last two elections. 

A new poll has found that 60% of Minnesotans are in favor of the new cannabis reform laws that include the legalization of edibles and beverages with less than 5 milligrams of THC.

A poll conducted by the Minnesota State House of Representatives at the state fair found that 61.4% of attendees supported the legalization of adult-use cannabis in the state.

Scott Jensen, the Republican nominee for Minnesota’s governorship, said that he supports decriminalizing small amounts of cannabis and letting voters decide whether to adopt legalization reforms.

Several Minnesota towns have banned or are considering bans on cannabis-infused edibles and beverages following the statewide legalization of low-potency THC products.

Medical cannabis patients in Minnesota will be allowed to purchase cannabis-infused gummies and chews starting August 1.

A Minnesota bill to legalize edibles containing no more than 5 milligrams of hemp-derived THC (including both delta-8 and delta-9 THC) took effect on Friday. Some Republican lawmakers may have voted for the bill without understanding its full scope.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) has signed a bill to effectively legalize up to 5mg of THC — including both delta-8 and delta-9 THC — in consumable products.

The Biden Administration’s Department of Justice has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to not take up a question relating to company compensations for their workers’ doctor-prescribed medical cannabis.

Minnesota is considering licensing two additional producers for the state’s medical cannabis program with the aim of increasing competition and driving down prices.

Starting next month, Minnesota medical cannabis patients will be able to buy whole flower products, including pre-rolls.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) included $25 million in his supplemental budget for creating a Cannabis Management Office and asked lawmakers to approve adult-use reforms.

Green Thumb Industries Inc. has closed on its acquisition of LeafLine Industries, which owns one of Minnesota’s two vertical licenses, giving GTI a national presence in 15 states.

Minnesota cannabis officials said that hemp-derived tinctures and other CBD and Delta-8 THC products are illegal because the FDA has not formally approved the cannabinoid products.