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CHRONICLING LEGAL CANNABIS IN MINNESOTA

By Matt DeLong

In this week’s Nuggets: Two years in, Minnesota’s THC market hasn’t lost its buzz; 2024 Autumn Brew Review in Minneapolis will feature THC beverages; the Office of Cannabis Management says it is vetting social equity candidates for a preapproval lottery; the deadline to comment on OCM's draft cannabis rules is today; and keep reading if you want to win tickets to the Legacy Cup in Minneapolis.

Two years in, Minnesota’s THC market hasn’t lost its buzz: At some liquor stores, THC outsells vodka. At some breweries, it outsells beer. Minnesota has become the country’s weed-drink capital, with cannabis-curious consumers spending at least $140 million on legal THC over the past year, Brooks Johnson and Ryan Faircloth report. Other states have taken notice: Iowa recently followed Minnesota in regulating hemp-derived THC products. Two years after the state legalized low-dose cannabis drinks and edibles, though, the market is pretty well saturated. When dispensaries start opening next year offering a full suite of cannabis products, will Minnesota’s trailblazing hemp market lose its appeal? Read more.

2024 Autumn Brew Review in Minneapolis will feature THC beverages: Still considered the grand poobah of Minnesota beer events, the Autumn Brew Review will return to its usual spot on its usual weekend, Boom Island Park in Minneapolis on Oct. 12, for its 23rd installment, Chris Riemenschneider reports. This year’s lineup, though, will feature some unusual brews not seen two decades ago. Hemp-derived THC beverages and collaboration beers were singled out in Wednesday’s announcement for ABR 2024 from the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild, also the organization behind the popular stands selling beer flights in the Agriculture Horticulture Building at the Minnesota State Fair. Read more.

The OCM says it is vetting social equity candidates for preapproval lottery: The Office of Cannabis Management announced in its monthly newsletter that it has started the process of vetting the 1,800 applications it received from individuals seeking preapproval for a limited number of social equity licenses to be awarded in a lottery later this fall. That lottery will be scheduled once applications have been vetted, the agency said. 

Deadline to comment on OCM's draft cannabis rules is today! If you want to make your voice heard about anything in the OCM’s 111 pages of proposed regulations to govern Minnesota’s upcoming adult-use cannabis market, you have until the end of the day Friday to submit your comments. 

Learn about dual-training opportunities at Nov. 8 Legal Cannabis Industry Forum: “The next Legal Cannabis Industry Forum, scheduled for 9-10 a.m. Nov. 8, is a great opportunity to learn about Minnesota Dual-Training Pipeline, share input on key in-demand occupations in the legal cannabis industry, help develop new occupations that will become eligible for pipeline programming and to network and learn from others,” per the OCM newsletter. Sign up for the virtual event here.

Want to win tickets to Legacy Cup V in Minneapolis? Billed as “the Midwest’s largest cannabis festival,” the fifth annual Legacy Cup returns Sept. 14 to Surly Field in Minneapolis. As an advertising partner of the Star Tribune, Legacy Cup has provided us with five pairs of general admission tickets to give away to Nuggets readers. To enter our drawing, send an email to nuggets@startribune.com with “Legacy Cup” in the subject line by 11:59 p.m. Sept. 8. Winners will be chosen at random and notified Sept. 9. 

Homegrowers take note! We’re reserving one pair of tickets for the reader who shares the best photo from their garden using this link. Photos must be submitted by the Sept. 8 deadline. The winner will receive a shoutout and their photo will be included in the Sept. 13 edition of Nuggets. 

Programming note: Nuggets will take a break next week! I’ll be vacationing in the mountains of Colorado, so Nuggets will take a brief hiatus next week. It will return the following Friday, Sept. 13. 

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

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.

Thanks to Isaac from Columbia Heights for showing us these Cake and Grand Daddy Purp plants, growing outdoors since May. Don't forget to submit your best photo from your garden for a chance to win a pair of tickets to the Legacy Cup!

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.

Aug. 30 (Sat.): HIGH Day Fri-Yay! - "Come chill, connect, and celebrate in an atmosphere of relaxation and good vibes. Kick off your weekend on a HIGH note at the Cann*A*Lounge for High Day Fri-Yay & Receive 20% off all TO GO Bent Paddle specific beverages when you give your friendly budtender this secret greeting 'Happy Fri-Yay'". 2 p.m. - 8 p.m. Bent Paddle Cann-A-Lounge, 1912 W. Michigan St., Duluth. More info. 

Aug. 30 - Sept. 2 (Fri.-Mon.): Disc N Dog's "Wilderness Games" - "It will be an epic time where we all can gather for a weekend of camping and fun in the sun, over Labor Day weekend." Including a complimentary BBQ, scavenger hunt, disc golf competition, a mad session tent and more. Benton Beach Campgrounds, 96 N.W. 125th St., Rice. More info. 

Sept. 6-7 (Fri.-Sat.): Doobie Dabbler - The Great Green Get-Together will feature 100-plus acres of activities, entertainment, education, vendors and more. Sever's Festival Grounds, 3121 W. 150th St., Shakopee. Tickets and more info.

Sept. 14 (Sat.): Legacy Cup V - The Midwest's largest cannabis festival, featuring performances by Lupe Fiasco, Dessa and Luniz, free samples, art, vendors, ganja games and a cannabis cup competition. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Surly Festival Field, 520 S.E. Malcolm Av., Minneapolis. Tickets and more info. 

Find more cannabis-related events at mnweedevents.com.

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