THC edibles, beverages now legal in Minnesota as new law goes into effect
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A new Minnesota law taking effect Friday allows people 21 and older to buy edibles and beverages that contain a limited amount of THC, the ingredient in marijuana that creates a high.
The new law now governs the packaging, the sale and the makeup of the products, which may not contain more than 5 mg of THC per serving, and no more than 50 mg per package. Five milligrams is about half the standard dose found in recreational marijuana products in other states.
The new law requires child-proof packaging and a QR code to scan for information on ingredients and testing.
"This is a really good middle ground for all those people who think they can benefit from this but it's illegal and I have morals," Mason Alt, owner of Retro Bakery in Columbia Heights, said.
This year, Senate Republicans blocked a bill to legalize pot. Experts say this new law is more about consumer protections than a prelude to anything else.
Meanwhile, the Star Tribune reports that Sen. Jim Abeler (R-Anoka), chair of the Senate Human Services Reform Finance and Policy Committee, claims he didn't realize the new law would legalize edibles with delta-9 THC, but would merely regulate delta-8 THC products. He reportedly wants to roll this new law back, however unlikely that would be under Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and the DFL-controlled House.
Under the law, new THC products must be derived from legally certified hemp. But, industry experts say 5 milligrams will produce the same effect whether it's derived from hemp or marijuana.
The use of industrial hemp in the U.S. has exploded over the past decade; a government report valued the industry at $824 million in 2021. In Minnesota, moreover, farmers planted 2,650 acres of hemp -- the fifth most among U.S. states.