View this email as a web page

CHRONICLING LEGAL CANNABIS IN MINNESOTA

By Matt DeLong

In this week’s Nuggets: "Phishing scheme" targets MN cannabis businesses; new bill would allow FDA to regulate hemp products; Minnesota cannabis leaders decry arrest of Nekima Levy Armstrong over ICE protest; why High January is the new Dry January; Chicago arena will be nation’s first to offer THC drinks; cannabis legalization comes with trade secret concerns; Minneapolis-based Vireo Growth acquires Scotts Miracle-Gro’s cannabis-supply unit; and a roundup of local government news.

"Phishing scheme" targets MN cannabis businesses: The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) on Thursday notified licensed cannabis and hemp business owners about “a recent phishing scheme” that uses publicly available information to target some Minnesota operators. Some businesses reported receiving emails that “appear to come from official sources” that attempt to trick the recipient into following a link and sharing business information.

The OCM shared the following guidance with licensees:

New bill would allow FDA to regulate hemp products: “Hemp-derived products containing CBD — the non-intoxicating cannabinoid President Donald Trump proposed covering via Medicare last month — would be regulated under federal law for the first time if a bipartisan bill introduced in Congress on Thursday passes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would set cannabinoid limits for hemp-derived products under the Hemp Enforcement, Modernization and Protection (HEMP) Act, sponsored by Republican U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith of West Virginia and Texas Democratic U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey,” Chris Roberts reports for MJBizDaily. Read more.

Notably, if the secretary of Health and Human Services — currently Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — does not set limits for cannabinoid content in hemp products within three years after the bill’s passage, the following limits would be automatically enacted:

As Roberts writes, “those limits don’t specify which cannabinoid is subject to those limits, appearing to open the door to regulated hemp-derived THC.” 

A separate bill introduced earlier this month by Democratic U.S. Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota would extend the deadline for implementing new federal restrictions on hemp products until November 2028. 

Minnesota cannabis leaders decry arrest of Nekima Levy Armstrong over ICE protest: “The scene unfolding in Minnesota has drawn national attention in recent weeks, as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has carried out a surge of enforcement activity across the state. Reports of widespread detention, the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent, and the violent treatment of protesters and observers have intensified scrutiny. Tensions escalated further with the arrest of activists, including civil rights attorney and hemp operator Nekima Levy Armstrong, after a demonstration at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minn., where an ICE official serves as pastor. Now, Minnesota’s cannabis community is rallying around Levy Armstrong and speaking out about her arrest,” Rachelle Gordon reports for Greenstate. Read more.

High January is the new Dry January: “For liquor manufacturers and retailers, January is a bleak month. For the last three years, alcoholic beverages not only have consistently lost ground to nonalcoholic drinks in January, but have rebounded more slowly, 'signaling a sustained lifestyle shift rather than a temporary post-holiday reset,' the research firm Numerator wrote this month. But sales of mocktails, seltzers and teas containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, have surged since their introduction a few years ago. Amid increased consumer demand and legalization of the cannabis-derived drinks, major retailers like Target, Sprouts and Circle K and national liquor stores are putting the beverages on their shelves,” Julie Cresswell reports for the New York Times. Read more.

Chicago arena will be nation’s first to offer THC drinks: “Chicago-based brands Señorita and Rythm announced Tuesday that they have entered into a multiyear deal with the United Center to add hemp-derived THC drinks to the menu. [...] THC drinks will not be available at Bulls and Blackhawks games as of now, just concerts and other events,” Carrie Shepherd and Justin Kaufmann report for Axios Chicago. Read more.

Cannabis legalization comes with trade secret concerns: “Recent courts have recognized that cannabis-related information can qualify as trade secrets when it requires significant time, expertise, and investment to develop. One court found that cannabis cultivars developed through selective breeding and cloning could be trade secrets because of the resources involved in creating them. Courts have also held that specific cultivation methods — such as customized nutrient schedules, watering practices, harvesting timing, and trellising techniques — may be protected as trade secrets. [...] However, the cannabis industry is also distinct from other industries where growers might share tips,” Laura Brown reports for Minnesota Lawyer. Read more.

Minneapolis-based Vireo Growth acquires Scotts Miracle-Gro’s cannabis-supply unit: “Scotts Miracle-Gro signed a deal to unload its cannabis-supply business, largely pulling out of its more than decadelong foray into the turbulent marijuana industry. The sale would move Scotts’s pot-focused subsidiary, Hawthorne Gardening, into the hands of Vireo Growth, a cannabis company. Scotts would take a stake in Vireo as part of the deal, executives said," Dean Seal reports for the Wall Street Journal. Read more.

Local government roundup:

Did you miss last week's Nuggets? Read it here.

Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can sign up for Nuggets here. Must be 21 or older.

Here's another one from Chumbly in Chisholm, a Cherry Pie photoperiod 32 days into flower. "Had to pull out of the 4x4 to make a new home in the 4x8," Chumbly writes.

Homegrowers, show off your plants! Share your best photo with us by clicking the button below and we'll publish one each week in Nuggets. By submitting a photo you affirm that you own the rights to it and you are granting permission to the Star Tribune to publish it on its platforms.

Talk to us! We want to hear what you think about Nuggets. Send feedback, questions, events, story tips or new feature ideas to nuggets@startribune.com.

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.

Feb. 5 (Thu.): Cannabis Advisory Council Quarterly Meeting - Agenda TBA. 10 a.m.-noon. Stassen Building, Room 2000, 600 N. Robert St., St. Paul. More info.

Feb. 6-8 (Fri.-Sun.): Anoka Cannabis Company Grand Opening - Minnesota's first municipal cannabis store marks its launch with deals on flower (opening weekend sales by appointment only) and a Sally Port Party from noon-4 p.m. Saturday featuring a photo booth, swag station, freebie table, and vendors. Anoka Cannabis Company, 839 E. River Rd., Anoka. More info.

Feb. 27-28 (Fri.-Sat.): Lucky Leaf Expo Minneapolis - "Come network with some of the best professionals in the cannabis industry during our two-day cannabis conference." Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 S. 2nd Av., Minneapolis. 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.