Two markets in motion

MN CANNABIS UPDATES

Testing Extension Passed!

Good news: Hemp THC companies can continue to test outside MN until at least November. The Minnesota Legislature has passed, and Gov. Walz has signed, a bill extending the in-state testing requirement for low-potency (hemp) edibles and beverages as they transition to being licensed under Minn. Stat 342, effective March 31.

Jen’s take: While this is not a surprise, we should celebrate the win. The bill was championed through the Legislature by allies Sen. Port and Rep. Hanson, and aimed to preserve Minnesota’s limited testing capacity for the adult-use industry. It does not change any other compliance requirements or timing for the LPHE industry. Also, while the Minnesota bill allows for out of state testing until May 31, 2027, the looming federal ban on intoxicating THC comes into effect on November 12, 2026. LPHE companies should be watching this space for updates.

Other Minnesota cannabis news

The other cannabis proposals to the MN Legislature we’ve discussed previously are either pending or dead. I was part of a constructive meeting at the Capitol on Monday discussing the proposal to streamline the medical & rec supply chains as well as a variety of smaller tweaks to MN cannabis law.

Lower-potency hemp edible (LPHE) applications reopened April 1 and will remain open for applications on a rolling basis. Click here for more info. 

OCM has approved three training programs for Minnesota's certified medical cannabis consultants, from Lauryn House, MM411, and Green CulturED.

The Star Tribune had a good story about the effect of the looming federal hemp THC ban, “Minnesota lawmakers vowed to save the hemp-derived THC industry. Their push has stalled in Congress” (March 27). The story includes Bob Galligan of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild saying, “I told every legislator that if there is no relief whatsoever from Metro Surge and this hemp language goes through, I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say 60 to 75 percent of the brewing jobs in Minnesota are lost,” Galligan said. “We are definitely on a tightrope of some catastrophic economic impacts.”

Jen’s take: I will be speaking to brewers next week about where hemp THC is and goes from here, along with two other notable MN leaders.

Legally Enforceable: How Smart Operators Use Contracts to Protect - and Build - their Business

By Jen Randolph Reise

In the early days of building a business, a lot runs on trust.

You meet someone who seems aligned. You talk through a deal. You get to work.

And for a while, that’s enough—until it isn’t.

At some point, every business relationship is tested. When that happens, the difference between a painful setback and a manageable problem often comes down to one thing:

Did you get it in writing—and did everyone sign it?

READ MORE HERE →

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Guest Blog: Beat the Heat - A Common-Sense Guide for MN Cannabis Industry

By Cathy Hovde of Resilient EHS

Spring is in the air, and summer is just around the corner. For Minnesota cannabis operators, this change in season means it's time to start planning for heat illness prevention. Regardless of whether you manage an indoor flower room, greenhouse, or outdoor grow, taking proactive steps is essential to keep your team safe and your harvest on track as temperatures climb.

READ MORE HERE →

OTHER CANNABIS NEWS

Federal

The national hemp ban is coming into effect on Nov. 12, 2026. Check out this take by Legalization Nation by Brian Box Brown, published at Green State

A new Medicare pilot that would allow some older adults to receive hemp CBD products is facing a court challenge, reports Green State. Anti-cannabis groups, led by Smart Approaches to Marijuana, have filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump Administration to block the pilot, arguing that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) cannot “sanction the possession and use of illegal and dangerous Schedule I substances by Medicare patients without clear congressional authorization.” A hearing has been set for 4/20. SAM's litigation strategy shows they intend to continue to work to block any rescheduling progress, reports MJBIzDaily, just as they did during the Biden Administration.

Along with raising the maximum recruitment age from 35 to 42, the U.S. Army now will take recruits who have a conviction on their record for marijuana possession or drug paraphernalia.

MSOs are struggling to find the capital they need, and are relying on growth by acquisition and debt financing, with 9/10 of the top capital raises in cannabis in 2025 being debt financing rather than equity. Jen's take: It's not just the small operators who cannot find equity investment!

Around the States

Georgia: A bill expanding GA's medical program has been sent to the governor's desk.

Missouri: MO is looking for an alternative to Metrc for track and trace solutions, and its bidding process has drawn the attention of some major mainstream business software providers. Jen’s take: The question is, Will someone create a better alternative to Metrc? Metrc recently acquired its main competitor, BioTrack.

MO is also cracking down on unlicensed hemp sales at the behest of the adult-use industry, reports MJBizDaily. A proposal to ban hemp THC in Missouri has passed the Missouri House and is pending in the state Senate.

Mississippi: MS Governor Reeves (R) vetoed two bills that would have expanded MS's medical cannabis laws, inc. a "right-to-try" provision.

New York: The governor's office reported that after 5 years of adult-use sales, licensed retailers in NY have generated $3.3 billion in sales. There are now 2,161 licensees in the state, including 610 active dispensaries. The report also found successes in NY's ambitious social equity goals: 56% of the state’s adult-use cannabis licenses have been awarded to Social and Economic Equity (SEE) applicants, including 57% of licenses to women-owned businesses and 51% to minority-owned businesses; and 86% of CAURD dispensaries are currently operating.

Ohio: Nearly all intoxicating hemp products became illegal March 20, after last-ditch efforts to save Ohio's $1 billion cannabis market failed. The new law also overhaul's OH's adult-use cannabis laws, including reducing THC limits in extracts from 90% to 70%, bans the possession of cannabis outside of its original packaging, and prohibits smoking in most public places.

Texas: A ban on intoxicating hemp flower and vapes went into effect March 31. Other changes: significantly higher licensing fees for hemp product retailers and manufacturers and tightened packaging and testing requirements for hemp THC products that remain available, inc. edibles and beverages.

Virginia: With a bill on the governor's desk, Virginia is poised to open its adult-use market Jan. 1 by allowing its five medical cannabis MSOs to pay a $10 million conversion fee. Advocates want the launch delayed further to allow smaller, Virginia-based companies a chance to compete. By the way, those 5 MSOs in Virginia include Green Thumb Industries (GTI), which owns the Rise dispensaries in MN.

Wisconsin: Is WI losing millions in tax revenue to states where cannabis is legal?, asks the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (article republished in MinnPost).

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