Minnesota cannabis regulators have unveiled new regulations on the sale of hemp flower products, MinnPost reports.
The rules were set on Thursday by the Office of Cannabis Management. The agency’s interim director Charlene Briner described the effort as an an “interagency agreement” that will include contracting a private testing lab.
The new rules come after products purchased from a Twin Cities hemp retailer tested at 29.99% total THC, including 1.1% delta-9 THC, which is more than three times the legal delta-9 THC limit, the report said.
“We are starting to contact retailers as we speak to talk about inspections,” Briner said.
“The Office of Cannabis Management has received complaints of retailers selling cannabis flower under the label of hemp flower. Under an agreement between The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and OCM, inspectors from MDH will begin to examine any flower products being sold during their regular inspections to determine whether they are indeed hemp flower or cannabis flower.” — Excerpt from memo sent to hemp retailers
Minnesota legalized adult-use cannabis possession and consumption in August 2023 but the state’s regulated cannabis marketplace has yet to launch. Lawmakers had previously legalized the sale of low-dose cannabis edibles and other products, and the hemp products described in the report were purchased under that limited market.
Officials said last year they expect the state’s regulated adult-use market to launch sometime in 2025 but Briner recently conceded that she wasn’t certain about the timeline.
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