Cannabis Regulators in Minnesota Destroy $300,000 Worth of Products in Crackdown on THCA Hemp Flower
Attention all hipsters and cannabis enthusiasts in Minnesota! Brace yourselves for some major news in the world of weed. According to a report in local media, state regulators have taken a bold move and destroyed nearly $300,000 worth of cannabis products. But here’s the twist – these products were being sold as THCA hemp flower by 58 businesses. What’s the deal, you ask? Let’s dive in.
Minnesota may have legalized adult-use cannabis last year, but don’t get too excited just yet. Regulated sales of recreational weed are not expected to begin until early next year. However, some retailers have been taking advantage of a supposed loophole in the law by selling cannabis marketed as hemp flower. This loophole supposedly made sales of hemp rich in THC legal under federal law. Sneaky, right?
But here’s where things get interesting. The Minnesota Office of Medical Cannabis was given temporary jurisdiction over hemp-derived products, but not raw hemp flower, under a legislation passed in 2022. This law only covered low-THC products like gummies and beverages, leaving raw hemp flower in a legal gray area. This led to some retailers selling hemp flower products with high levels of THCA, a cannabinoid that converts to delta-9 THC when heated, above the legal limit of 0.3% total THC.
But fear not, my fellow cannabis enthusiasts. The new Office of Cannabis Management will soon regulate raw cannabis flower once businesses are licensed under last year’s recreational marijuana legalization law. Until then, however, the state has taken matters into their own hands.
Under an agreement between state agencies, medical cannabis inspectors have been deputized to enforce the ban on cannabis flower sales. This means they have the power to seize any raw cannabis flower products that exceed the 0.3% total THC limit. And since March, they have been doing just that.
Last week, the Office of Cannabis Management revealed that a whopping 12,094 units of cannabis flower products have been seized and destroyed. This includes pre-rolled joints, bags, and jars of cannabis flower with an estimated value of $278,000. These products were confiscated from 58 businesses across Minnesota, totaling to approximately 73 pounds of raw cannabis flower.
But wait, there’s more. Shop operators were given an enforcement notice when their products were seized, threatening fines “in excess of $1 million.” However, no citations were issued and no fines were assessed. So, what’s the deal with that?
Well, it turns out that some businesses were playing by the rules and not taking advantage of the loophole. These businesses were left at a competitive disadvantage, while others were making a profit by selling high-THC hemp flower. But with the state cracking down on these products, it seems like the playing field will soon be leveled.
David Mendolia, the owner of St. Paul Cannabis, is one of the hemp business owners who chose to comply with the spirit of the law. Kudos to him for doing the right thing. As for the others, well, let’s just say they learned their lesson the hard way. So, let this be a lesson to all – don’t mess with the cannabis regulators in Minnesota. They mean business.
