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CHRONICLING LEGAL CANNABIS IN MINNESOTA

By Matt DeLong

In this week's Nuggets: Minnesota launches new cannabis data dashboard; OCM releases legislative proposal that could reshape medical cannabis market; U.S. Rep. Angie Craig introduces bill to delay new hemp restrictions; MN law enforcement hopes to obtain devices to catch people driving high; New survey finds 1 in 4 Minnesota adults have used cannabis in last month; First Avenue venues will exclusively sell THC beverages from Foundry Nation and BLNCD; and we catch up on what we missed over our longer-than-expected break. 

Minnesota launches new cannabis data dashboard: For those looking for ways to quantify the progress of Minnesota’s legal marijuana market rollout, the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has released a new “Cannabis Market Monitor” data dashboard. The feature includes much, much more data than has been released previously, including information about licenses, medical and adult-use cannabis sales over time, breakdowns of sales by product type and price per gram of flower, as well as the number of plants started and harvested by month. The data is sourced from Metrc, the state’s seed-to-sale tracking system and will be updated monthly, OCM Director Eric Taubel said. “This really is a way for people to see what we are seeing internally,” Taubel said. “It’s an opportunity to show rather than tell.” See the dashboard here.

OCM releases legislative proposal that could reshape medical cannabis market: A slew of reports required by law were released Thursday by the OCM, including one laying out the agency’s proposals for the 2026 legislative session. For background, the OCM was tasked by the Legislature with developing a proposal for combining the medical and adult-use cannabis supply chains and the new proposals largely  focus on achieving that goal. The OCM will seek to incentivize licensed cannabis businesses to participate in the medical cannabis market by:

The proposal would also require the OCM to create a process to allow businesses to expand their existing licenses – for example, allowing a microbusiness to become a mezzobusiness, or a mezzobusiness to become a macrobusiness. Priority for reclassification would be given to businesses with a medical endorsement. 

U.S. Rep. Angie Craig introduces bill to delay new hemp restrictions: A new bipartisan bill introduced by DFLer Craig and GOP Rep. James Baird of Indiana has just a single provision. The Hemp Planting Predictability Act would extend the deadline for implementing a new law banning hemp products containing more than 0.4 milligrams of THC per container by two years. If passed, the new law would take effect in November 2028 instead of later this year. Read the bill. 

MN law enforcement hopes to obtain devices to catch people driving high: Public safety officials are hoping this is the year the Minnesota Legislature will give law enforcement permission to employ technology to detect drivers under the influence of cannabis. They had permission to run a pilot last year and results were promising, Tim Harlow reports. “The devices proved highly accurate,” said Mike Hanson, director of the Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety. “The instruments worked as expected. We are hopeful policy makers will approve them” in 2026. Read more.

New survey finds 1 in 4 Minnesota adults have used cannabis in last month: New public opinion data from Lumaris Research’s Minnesota Community Survey contains a number of interesting findings about cannabis-related attitudes and behaviors in the state. One in four Minnesota adults say they have used some form of THC in the past month, the survey found, and usage is very consistent across age groups – though only one in six respondents age 65 or older reported recent use. The survey, which was conducted Sept. 25 to Nov. 6 and included 1,172 adults, also found Minnesotans with annual household income below $69,000 reported using cannabis at double the rate of those making more than $150,000 per year. Minnesotans support legalizing marijuana nationwide by a more than two-to-one margin, the survey found, though only 13% said they felt cannabis legalization has made things better. About two in three respondents said legalization has made no difference in their daily lives.

First Avenue venues will exclusively sell THC beverages from Foundry Nation and BLNCD: Twin Cities live music behemoth First Avenue announced this week that it is partnering with Minneapolis-based THC beverage makers Foundry Nation and BLNCD to exclusively provide hemp-derived drinks to its venues – which include Turf Club, Palace Theater, the Fine Line and Fitzgerald Theater, as well as First Avenue itself. Concert attendees can expect “a curated selection of THC beverages integrated thoughtfully into existing bar programs” starting this month, according to a news release.

Catching up on what we missed:

 Did you miss the last edition of Nuggets? Read it here.

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Thanks to Kelsey in Mankato for sharing this Snowball Fight flower, just weeks from harvest. "Frosty indoor buds that are definitely going to keep us warm," Kelsey writes. 

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Jan. 16 (Fri.): NativeCare Grand Opening in Thief River Falls - "Join us for our red ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. as we celebrate this big milestone with the community." 9:30 a.m.- 7 p.m. NativeCare, 20765 E. Center St., Thief River Falls. More info.

Jan. 18 (Sun.): Light 'Em Up The Bong Show - Battle of Champions - "The Hook is teaming up with local comic/host/producer Ira Ford, our friends at Retro Bakery, Smoke SuMN, TerpWolves, Zen Arcade, Green Piece Minnesota and twelve very special Midwest comedians to present a live stand-up showcase/competition." 7-11 p.m. Hook and Ladder Theater, 3010 Minnehaha Av., Minneapolis. More info.

Jan. 31 (Sat.): Crafting, Connecting and Cannabis - "Music, snacks, networking, crafting and samples." 3-7 p.m. Ghost Dispensary, 1440 Ne. 85th Av., Spring Lake Park. More info.

Got questions about cannabis? 

Send them to us and we'll do our best to answer as many as we can in future newsletters.