On the day Minnesota’s new cannabis law went into effect, people lined up outside the Nothing but Hemp store on St. Paul’s Grand Avenue, looking for food and drinks containing enough THC to get high. THC is tetrahydrocannabinol, the ingredient that creates a high.
“We expected to be busy, but not this way,” said Stephen Brown, CEO of Nothing but Hemp and a member of the Minnesota Cannabis Association board. “We have queues out the door. Online was a madhouse. We actually had to stop our online sales just because we have so much to fulfill. So it’s a good problem to have.”
Minnesota’s new law, which takes effect Friday, allows people 21 and older to buy food and drinks that contain 5 milligrams of THC, or about half the amount allowed in states that have legalized cannabis and recreational marijuana .
Edibles, such as gum and beverages, can contain up to 5 milligrams of THC per serving and 50 milligrams per package under the law. By law, new THC products must be obtained from legally certified hemp. But industry experts say 5 milligrams will produce the same effect whether derived from hemp or marijuana.
The new law does not limit who can sell the products, but the law does not allow any vaping or smoking products, and edible gums and drinks cannot be sold to children.
Not all CBD retailers are high on the new law, however.
“You can come in here and still get the therapeutic benefits without the high,” says Patty Gilk, owner of Jes Naturals CBD Wellness stores along Highway 5 in Eden Prairie and downtown Excelsior.
Her stores are not selling the new products with higher THC levels for now while they wait to see what other products come out.
“You don’t need THC,” Gilk says of products to help you sleep or topical creams for muscle pain. “You don’t need the high. Our customers, a lot of them, come in and say I don’t want to be rude. It makes me nervous. I bought something from somewhere and got pissed off. I didn’t know I was going to screw up.”
Gilk says she hasn’t ruled out carrying products with higher permitted amounts of THC, but only if they have more than just recreational value.
“If it’s more therapeutic and can help more people, we’ll definitely carry it,” she told 5 Eyewitness News.
Meanwhile, some Republican lawmakers have expressed some surprise that the new THC levels are allowed in the new legislation. But Senate Republican Majority Leader Jeremy Miller says the new bill is part of a plan to further regulate the cannabis industry.
“We passed bipartisan legislation that will restrict many THC products after the 2018 federal farm bill opened a new market for these products,” he said in a written statement. “Our bill regulates the industry and keeps these products away from children. Adding clear labeling, limiting sale to 21 or older, and banning certain marketing practices aimed at children were absolutely necessary. If we find that manufacturers and sellers are not complying with the law, we will make sure that they are held accountable.”
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