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CHRONICLING LEGAL CANNABIS IN MINNESOTA

By Matt DeLong

In this week's Nuggets: Cookies coming to Minneapolis?; the Supreme Court could loosen the law barring marijuana users from owning guns; Minnesota must be careful with roadside tests to catch high drivers, writes Clemon Dabney; more Minnesota flower coming soon; and Minnesota Monthly’s CannaFest is set for April 16.

Cookies coming to Minneapolis? Cookies, one of the most well-known cannabis brands in the world, has signage all over a storefront at 817 N. Washington Av., according to a post on the North Loop Neighborhood Association’s website. Very little information is available about the business. Cookies CEO Gilbert Milam Jr. (aka the rapper Berner) was in Minneapolis last month for a concert at the Fine Line, posting on Instagram that Cookies will have its grand opening soon. However, no cannabis business license is associated with the address and the Office of Cannabis Management could not say whether there is a pending license. Attempts to reach Cookies were unsuccessful.

Cookies has dozens of branded dispensaries and clothing stores, many of which are licensed and owned by franchisees, across the U.S., Canada and Asia. The company – known for creating and marketing a handful of famous cannabis strains, such as Girl Scout Cookies, Gelato and Gary Payton – has had a shaky few months, with MJBizDaily reporting in November that one of its lawyers suggested in a court filing that Cookies was on the verge of “insolvency.” WeedWeek on Tuesday reported that a new lawsuit accused Milam and his allies of “trying to wrest control of the brand ‘while leaving its other shareholders with nothing.’”

Anyone with information about the Cookies store in Minneapolis is welcome to send an email to nuggets@startribune.com.

Supreme Court could loosen law barring marijuana users from owning guns: “The Supreme Court seemed likely Monday to loosen a federal law that bars marijuana users from owning guns in a case that crossed typical political lines. A majority of justices appeared to lean toward a narrow ruling in favor of a Texas man who argued he shouldn’t have been charged with a crime just because he owned a gun and smoked marijuana a few times a week,” Lindsay Whitehurst reports for the Associated Press. Read more.

OPINION | Minnesota must be careful with roadside tests to catch high drivers: “These tools are useful, but also imperfect and easy to oversell. There’s a difference between presence of cannabis and impairment,” writes Star Tribune opinion columnist Clemon Dabney. Read more.

More Minnesota flower coming soon: Breana Crotteau of Holistic Wellness Services in Moose Lake, about 45 minutes southwest of Duluth, told Nuggets that the dispensary expects to have two strains – Blueberry Diesel and Gelato Sunrise – from Sandstone cultivator Bud Doctor for sale next week, with more strains coming soon. As we previewed recently, the first live resin disposable vapes from Loon Labs are in a small number of stores now. If you know about other Minnesota adult-use cannabis brands releasing new products, please do get in touch!

Reminder: We’re tracking recreational marijuana retailers across Minnesota with this free map.

Minnesota Monthly’s CannaFest set for April 16: CannaFest, now in its fifth year, will move across the river to the Lowlands in St. Paul. The focus will remain on hemp-derived products, promising more than 50 vendors and unlimited sampling of infused beverages, edibles, tinctures and more. On-site and post-event ordering will be available for in-store pickup from Top Ten Liquors. Twin Cities 400 Tavern will offer food for purchase. Tickets are $40 plus tax for those 21 or older with ID. More info here. 

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Steve in Minneapolis passed along this outdoor plant, one of five grown by a group of friends. "Good stony hybrid bud," he writes. Thanks for sharing!

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.

March 7 (Sat.): Homegrown Cannabis Made Easy - Class will cover the basics of home growing with Bob Walloch of CannaJoyMN. 9-10:30 a.m. Mother Earth Gardens Northeast, 2318 NE. Lowry Av., Minneapolis. More info.

March 13 (Fri.): OCM Connecting with Community Listening Tour - "Designed to provide the general public with an overview of the OCM’s work and explain how the office regulates the cannabis industry in Minnesota." Limited capacity; registration is required. 3-4:15 p.m. Lake Superior College, Commons Room M255, 2101 Trinity Rd., Duluth. More info.

March 17 (Tue.): OCM Social Equity Mixer: Cannabis Capital Readiness - "Join us for a panel discussion and networking mixer designed to help cannabis entrepreneurs explore funding options and connect with community resources." 4-6 p.m. Pioneer Bank, Gold and Green Conference Room, 1450 Adams St., Mankato. 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.