DEA Rescheduling Hearing Will Hear Only Prohibitionists

MN CANNABIS UPDATES

MN-OCM has begun emailing license applicants with updated timing based on the 2026 Omnibus Bill. That bill established a deadline for qualified applicant status (those still in Step 2 of the licensing process) of Jan. 1, 2027 - so OCM is emailing them warning that they cannot stay in qualified applicant status, but must move forward by Jan. 1, 2027 (by going through the background check process). That bill also helped pre-approved licensees (in Step 3 of the licensing process), who have 18 months to open after receiving pre-approval. They can obtain an additional 6 months to open if they request it, and the email promises to send more info as the licensee approaches the end of the 18-month period with additional information and how to apply for the extension.
 Jen's take: This is good news for the many applicants who have been scrambling to open within the 18 months. It is also good news for folks who applied but have decided not to build a business, as it makes their license salable for longer. I am hearing from folks who want to buy licenses, either because they are moving from the hemp industry or were not paying attention three years ago when all these licensees applied. Contact me if you have an application in either pre-approval or qualified applicant status at [email protected] to possibly get introduced to potential buyers, or figure out your next steps.

Legends Testing lab has laid off Taylor Schertler and others and quit testing cannabis or hemp products, instead of coming into OCM compliance, reported the Star Tribune last week.
 Jen’s take: This is a bad result for operators, OCM, and Legends’ staff alike. As I say in the story, the lack of testing capacity has dramatically slowed the movement of legal product from cultivation to retail this spring. Having a reasonable turnaround time for quality testing now feels farther away, and is an urgent need for both the large cultivators and the microbusiness and social equity licensees that I work with in the North Star Accelerator.
 Jen's take a week later: It's also a good reminder that ancillary business providers to the industry, ones where cannabis or hemp is only a part of their business, could decide to quit this crazy industry, causing new problems in their wake.

A new study of Minnesota medical cannabis users published in a peer-reviewed journal concludes that “medical marijuana is associated with significant improvements in life enjoyment, general activity and physical wellbeing among Minnesota chronic pain patients.”

Jen’s take: I’m proud to be the lead sponsor of this training effort. Creating a well-educated workforce quickly is a key next step in the evolution of this industry, and the Minnesota Cannabis College is a ground-up, community effort I’ve collaborated with since summer 2023.

Guest Blog: What are the Requirements for Cannabis Extraction Facility Certification in Minnesota?

By Cathy Hovde of Resilient EHS

The statutory requirement necessitates a formal technical review and sign-off by a qualified Industrial Hygienist (IH) or Professional Engineer (PE). Pursuant to MN Statute 342.26 and 9810.2205, the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) and the State Fire Marshal mandate that the review be an independent, third-party certification for all solvent extraction systems.

The installation of extraction equipment—ranging from C1D1 booths to high-throughput ethanol centrifuges—represents a significant capital investment. However, physical installation is only the first phase of facility activation. Operational authorization is contingent upon rigorous regulatory validation. Equipment cannot be energized or utilized for production until it has been formally certified for safety and code compliance.

Securing this certification requires an extensive repository of technical documentation. The following guide outlines the specific data sets and engineering records required to demonstrate system integrity and regulatory adherence.

READ MORE HERE →

Confidential Industry Classifieds

• Do you have a license application you don't plan to use? I can help you get some money for it from hemp operators looking to transition into this market, and other potential buyers, as well.

• Is anyone else setting up harvest / trim crews for hire?

• Do you have something to advertise here?

Contact Jen @ [email protected] 

OTHER CANNABIS NEWS

Federal

Adult-Use Rescheduling

The rescheduling hearings start June 29, and it's becoming clear how the DEA is approaching these hearings. Legalization opponents like Smart Approaches to Marijuana are speaking against rescheduling, and no proponents of reform have been invited to speak by the DEA.

Travis Cullen, a Minnesotan cannabis prisoner-turned-dispensary owner, did the paperwork to testify at the hearings. He posted his rejection letter on social media. Like other reform proponents, DEA's letter said he did not meet the definition of an “interested person” to participate because he was not “adversely affected or aggrieved by any rule or proposed rule issuable.”
  Jen's take: What a convoluted legal standard and a ridiculous outcome. DEA is stacking the deck on this hearing by allowing only one side of the argument to testify. Trump's Department of Justice has to carry the day in order for rescheduling to move forward - including that they have the burden of proof, notes the DEA. The hearings are also not livestreamed and attendees may not record anything. The hearings, at a DEA facility, will run June 29-July 15.

Hemp Ban

The White House and the restaurant lobby urged Congress not to allow the hemp ban to go into effect.

Gun Rights

The U.S. Supreme Court just decided an important case, U.S. vs. Hemani, which found that barring all cannabis users from lawfully owning guns violates the Second Amendment. Noting that cannabis use is now widespread and the federal government's attitude on it is generally softening, the Court ruled in a rare unanimous decision that gun rights should not be stripped away just because someone admits to cannabis use. The Bureau of Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said this week that it will “soon” issue updated guidance on cannabis users' gun rights following the Supreme Court’s decision.

Around the States

A new study finds that states have brought in a whopping $28 BILLION of tax revenue from legalizing and taxing cannabis. Some states now generate more tax revenue from cannabis than from alcohol!

The WBNA has loosened its rules on cannabis and player ownership of cannabis companies. This article also includes a nice roundup of the status of cannabis in other major league sports.

State cannabis officials are educating World Cup attendees on legal marijuana including a warning from Washington that cannabis in WA may be stronger than they are used to in other parts of the U.S.

Connecticut entered into its first tribal cannabis compact.

Nebraska approved its first medical cannabis cultivator.

Virginia: The governor and legislature reached a compromise to open the adult-use industry on July 1, 2027.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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