Minnesota cannabis is onstage at the Convention Center

Or, find me at the afterparties: After I send this I'm headed right to Evolve the Industry from CannaConnect and then will dash over to the Hook and Ladder, where my North Star Accelerator is proud to sponsor the official NECann Afterparty put on by Smokin' on the Runway and Diesel J's papers. Tomorrow night, we've got another terrific party at Earl Giles thrown by SocialAF. Networking is key, especially in a brand new industry, and brand-new licensees are sizing up new relationships.

Meanwhile, I'm proud to say we have a bunch of brand-new licensees in the ranks of the North Star Accelerator Program! One Accelerator member opened last weekend selling adult-use flower, and another received word from the state that they would be receiving some of the CanStartup loan funds.

MN CANNABIS UPDATES

MN Legislative Update: The Minnesota Legislature is down to the wire- the session ends at midnight on Sunday, and once again it’s unclear what, if anything, will pass into law.

We may see a much-debated compromise pass that includes streamlining the medical and adult-use supply chains; the compromise being debated would include creating a new “macro” license type to replace the med-combo license, limited to a small number. Smaller operators would benefit from streamlining because they could more easily sell medical cannabis as well as adult-use.

A bill would also likely include improvements to the Event License process. It’s possible it could ease social equity rules. A proposed ban on single-use vapes has been opposed by the SotaCANN industry group, and looks unlikely.

It’s also possible that no cannabis bill will pass, which would be unfortunate because there are also boring but important fixes to statute that everyone agrees on, including allowing licensees to change their form of ownership from LLC to corporation.

Stay tuned for the next edition for an analysis of the sausage that does come out of the Legislature!

Target has expanded its hemp THC drink offerings to ALL of its stores in Florida and Texas, and all of its stores in Illinois where hemp THC drinks can be sold, reports BevNet. That takes the count of Target stores that sell hemp THC beverages from 72 to more than 300. The story also notes that, "Sources report that Target is believed to be hedging against this potential ban by planning to mark down its intoxicating hemp inventory in October if there is no regulatory solution in place at that point."

Jen's take: Kudos to Target for continuing to invest in hemp THC drinks, including bringing Minnesota brands to these states! With FL and TX having no adult-use market, hemp THC is an especially big opportunity, and it's powerful to have Target say it is worth it even if they have to stop in November.

MN-OCM released April data! Highlights include:

• Adult-use retail sales were $15 million, plus medical sales of $10 million, for the month of April alone

• Median retail price per gram is $14.54 (so an average eighth is $50)

• A record 33,000 plants were entered into METRC in April

The Fond du Lac Band has opened a consumption lounge, serving solventless concentrates, on tribal land.

Note from Jen: I've been surprised we have not seen more tribes open consumption lounges yet! I'd love to work with the Legislature to get a consumption lounge license passed next legislative session; we would need a statutory exception to the Minnesota Clean Air Act for licensed consumption lounges, like cigar lounges and on tribal lands.

Verdant Strategies did a think-piece about Minnesota cannabis: Minnesota’s Cannabis Industry is Stuck Between Bold Vision and Operational Reality (Opinion).

Green State wrote about Smokin' on the Runway, Minnesota’s vibrant cannabis fashion show.

Training and Employee Resources

Kes and I had the pleasure of driving to Big Lake on Monday, where we trained the brand-new employees of member dispensary Grazzhopper Cannabis on Minnesota law, compliance, and customer service topics! Also loved meeting the owners in person for the first time and actually standing in the shop they have worked so hard to build.

They'll open in the coming days: Another member of the North Star Accelerator is a licensed dispensary! (That's 7 dispensaries now, with more on the way; our group includes cultivation, manufacturing, and transport as well).

We can also help guide you through finding and hiring employees so that you avoid common compliance missteps in Minnesota law. Do you need an Employee Handbook? Help classifying your people as employees vs. contractors?

If you would like to talk more about your employee and training needs and see if I can help (or know someone who can), email me at [email protected], or go ahead and schedule a free 15-minute conversation with me (for after NECann!) now.

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Don’t get caught with your plants down!

Guest Blog: Are your chemicals having a “Toxic Breakup” behind closed doors?

By Cathy Hovde of Resilient EHS

What are the dangers caused by mixing chemicals used in Cannabis production?

When you are setting up a cannabis cultivation or processing facility, finding space for your agricultural chemicals, cleaning supplies, and extraction solvents often turns into a game of real estate. But treating your chemical storage like a simple inventory problem is a massive liability.

It is critical to shift the conversation from "where do I put this bottle?" to "how do I protect my facility from a preventable chain reaction?"

When incompatible chemicals leak and mix, the results are rarely just a messy puddle; they can produce life-threatening toxic gases, rapid fires, or devastating explosions. Here is how to rethink your hazardous material storage to protect your workforce, preserve your product, and keep your operations fully compliant.

READ MORE HERE →

OTHER CANNABIS NEWS

Prohibitionist organizations have filed litigation seeking to block implementation of federal rescheduling.

Jen's take: We knew this was coming; unsure what traction it will get. I'm watching whether the federal hearings on adult-use rescheduling, which are scheduled to start in late June, are on track to happen.

Hemp THC: Unfortunately I have nothing to report this issue on the ongoing efforts to extend or otherwise change the effect of the national ban on intoxicating hemp products, which will go into effect on November 12, 2026 if no federal legislation intervenes.

Minnesotan Leah Kollross penned an op-ed for Marijuana Moment, The Cannabis Beverage Industry Has An Evidence Problem, With Too Few Companies Submitting Products For Independent Scrutiny. Kudos to Leah for raising these important issues!

Americans 60+ are increasingly using cannabis to treat pain and for sleep, a new study by the American Medical Association found.

Around the States

Missouri: A lawsuit against Good Day Farms (GDF), Missouri's largest dispensary chain, alleges that GDF created a behind-the-scenes monopoly by buying up licenses in the state, pushing out small operators.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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