Make no mistake, marijuana edibles are now legal in Minnesota
ST. PAUL, Minnesota — A new Minnesota law that went into effect Friday allows people age 21 and older to purchase edibles and beverages that contain a limited amount of THC, the ingredient in marijuana that produces a high.
Legislators have attempted to regulate delta-8 THC. They legalized Delta-9-THC instead. Banking errors in your favor!
Edibles like gummies and beverages can legally contain up to 5 milligrams of THC per serving and 50 milligrams per container. Five milligrams is about half the standard dose found in recreational marijuana products in other states.
By law, new THC products must be derived from legally certified hemp. However, industry experts say 5 milligrams will have the same effect whether it’s derived from hemp or marijuana, the Star Tribune reported.
“This stuff will get you high, there’s no doubt about it,” said attorney Jason Tarasek, founder of the Minnesota Cannabis Law Firm and board member of the Minnesota Cannabis Association. “Everyone calls it hemp-derived THC, which makes it sound like something other than marijuana. But I went on social media and called it adult marijuana because that’s how most people will see it.”
Related
Cannabis-Infused Edibles 101: What You Should Know About Dosage, Potency, and Labeling
How did it happen?
Apparently, Minnesota lawmakers, in their zeal to regulate hemp-derived cannabis products containing compounds like delta-8-THC and THC-O, passed legislation earlier this year that inadvertently legalized edibles containing delta-9-THC. This law went into effect as state law on July 1.
Delta-9 THC is what most people are referring to when they say THC. It is the compound that occurs naturally in cannabis and is intoxicating when smoked.
According to the legal definition, hemp contains less than 0.3% by weight of delta-9-THC. So, in order to extract delta-9-THC from hemp, processors must take a series of steps to first extract CBD from hemp and then convert that CBD into delta-9-THC.
Hemp itself is legal federally and also legal in Minnesota.
Hemp stores now sell it
Nothing But Hemp CEO Steven Brown said he will begin selling a dozen new THC products at his six Minnesota retail locations on Friday, with dozens more to come over the next month.
“In a way, we’ve legalized cannabis,” Brown said.
Nothing But Hemp operates stores in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Forest Lake, Maplewood Mall, White Bear Lake, Cloquet and Chaska.
This pop-up appeared on the Nothing But Hemp website over the weekend:
gov. Walz: You passed it, now wear it
Cannabis advocates say they are surprised the law passed the Minnesota legislature, given Senate Republican opposition to legalizing recreational marijuana. Republicans blocked a cannabis legalization bill earlier this year.
The Star Tribune has reported that Republican Sen. Jim Abeler, chairman of the Senate Finance and Policy Reform Committee on Human Services, said he was unaware that the new law would legalize edibles containing delta-9-THC. He thought it would only regulate hemp-derived delta-8 THC products.
Abeler reportedly wants to repeal the new law. But Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and the Democrat-controlled House are in favor of legalizing cannabis. So there could be some interesting negotiations coming up in the near future.
Where to find products this weekend
If you’re interested in taking advantage of the legislature’s omissions, here’s a list of Nothing But Hemp stores:
Take it easy out there
And remember: start low, go slow. Just eat one edible and then wait for the effects to kick in. This can take up to an hour. For adults who have never experienced the effects of edibles, a single 5mg gummy can be surprisingly potent.
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