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CHRONICLING LEGAL CANNABIS IN MINNESOTA

By Matt DeLong

In this week’s Nuggets: A new tribal cannabis dispensary opens in southern Minnesota; a recap of how legal marijuana fared on Election Day; Clemon "Dr. Dabs" Dabney on what Tuesday's election results mean for Minnesota's cannabis market; Red Wing to consider capping dispensaries; St. Joseph explores opening a municipal pot store; the Cannabis Advisory Council has two open seats for youth affected by cannabis use; East Grand Forks prepares its cannabis business regulations; and the Office of Cannabis Management will offer webinars on social equity grants.

New tribal cannabis dispensary opens in southern Minnesota: The Lower Sioux Indian Community’s Off the Path Dispensary is the latest tribally operated cannabis retail store to open in Minnesota. Located in Morton, about two hours west of the Twin Cities, the shop opened last weekend with little fanfare other than a post on its Facebook page. The dispensary carries an array of hemp-derived THC edibles and beverages from familiar Minnesota brands, including BLNCD, Crested River and Retro Bakery, according to its online menu. 

Off the Path's menu also features a dozen strains of cannabis flower and a large selection of vape cartridges and concentrates from two Arizona brands, Route 66 Exotics and "Dr. Dubs." Nuggets reached out to Off the Path for more information about its business and products, but received no response.

Chris Heinze, a St. Paul attorney representing Great White Farms – the Arizona-based parent company of both Route 66 Exotics and Dubs Dabs (@Dr.Dubs is the Instagram handle of Great White Farms owner Curtis White, who is also a part-owner of Minnesota hemp company MN Roots, Heinze said) – responded to questions about the brands. He said the products offered at Off the Path are adult-use marijuana, rather than the so-called THCa hemp flower that at least one other tribal dispensary has sold. Heinze said the products are subjected to safety testing for contaminants, including mold, pesticides and fertilizers. Nuggets asked to see a lab report to confirm this but none was provided.

"The tribe relies upon Great White Farms to procure flower and [vape cartridges and concentrates] from various trusted licensed sources," Heinze wrote in an email. The products are packaged for sale at a facility on tribal land, he added.

Heinze did not respond to messages seeking additional information about the "licensed sources" of the products by press time. Lab reports for several strains of flower found at a link on Route 66 Exotics' Instagram page are labeled "THCA Flower" in the file name and do not include any test results for potential contaminants. It is unclear if any of these strains are being sold at Off the Path. If we receive more information about these products, we will share it.

How did legal marijuana fare on Election Day? Not so great! Measures to legalize either medical or recreational cannabis were on the ballot in four states – Florida, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. All of the adult-use measures failed, though one state voted to legalize medical cannabis. Here's a recap:

What do Tuesday's election results mean for Minnesota's cannabis market? "A divided Legislature means that cannabis-related policy changes could face new hurdles. Unlike during the period of unified Democratic control, advancing additional cannabis reforms may require a greater emphasis on bipartisan negotiation and compromise. This shift could slow or stall efforts to refine regulations, expand social equity provisions or address emerging market challenges in Minnesota’s cannabis industry. Measures like tax adjustments, licensing expansions or new social equity initiatives could be particularly contentious, requiring careful coalition-building among legislators," writes Minnesota Star Tribune columnist Clemon "Dr. Dabs" Dabney in an op-ed. Read more.

Red Wing to consider capping marijuana dispensaries: “The Red Wing City Council is expected to consider an ordinance at its next meeting that limits the number of cannabis dispensaries in the city to two. The draft cannabis retail registration ordinance was on the council’s agenda for Oct. 28, but City Attorney Amy Mace suggested the council wait for staff to put together a more comprehensive ordinance instead of approving multiple ordinances related to cannabis. The council will likely still have to revisit the ordinance down the road because it’s approving it before the state creates regulations, she said,” Lisa Kaczke reports for the Republican Eagle. Read more.

St. Joseph explores opening a municipal pot store: “St. Joseph is looking to expand its services, and it isn’t talking about trash collection. The central Minnesota city might open a cannabis dispensary of its own. On Oct. 22, city officials signed a letter of intent with the Red Pine Group to explore the possibility of opening a cannabis dispensary. While the city signed the letter, it doesn’t necessarily mean it's set on opening the facility, and it is only committed to the exploration process. … The dispensary license would be held by the city, [David Murphy, St. Joseph's city administrator] said, while the Red Pine Group would likely manage the day-to-day operations and pay for up-front costs. However, Murphy said these details and exactly how the profits would be split are still being negotiated,” Corey Schmidt reports for the St. Cloud Times. Read more.

Cannabis Advisory Council has two open seats for youth affected by cannabis use: The Cannabis Advisory Council, which is tasked with making policy recommendations to the state Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), has openings for two young people between the ages of 18 and 24 who have been “disproportionately affected by cannabis use or have an immediate family member who was negatively affected by cannabis use.” One position is reserved for someone who lives in the seven-county metro area and the other is for someone outside the metro. For more information or to apply, click here. 

East Grand Forks prepares cannabis business regulations: “With East Grand Forks’ cannabis sale moratorium set to end later this year, the city is preparing its regulations and guidelines for businesses wishing to establish themselves in the city. A few proposals of how to craft ordinances have been discussed by the East Grand Forks City Council, ranging from the number of businesses it would like to allow within limits and where it would like to have businesses, for example. According to City Administrator Reid Huttunen, he expects city staff to bring formal ordinance changes sometime in November, ahead of the moratorium expiring,” Matthew Voigt reports for the Grand Forks Herald. Read more.

OCM offers webinars on social equity grants: The OCM’s Division of Social Equity will host two webinars to provide information about the state’s CanRenew and CanGrow grant programs. CanRenew is intended to provide money to eligible organizations that will then fund investments in communities disproportionately affected by cannabis prohibition. CanGrow will provide funds to organizations that will use the money to help cannabis cultivators navigate the rules and regulations of the cannabis market. The webinars will be held from 4:30-6 p.m. Nov. 15 and from 4:30-6 p.m. Dec. 10. Details on how to register will be forthcoming. Sign up for email updates from the Division of Social Equity to stay in the loop.

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Craigger from St. Paul submitted this Gazzurple flower, growing indoors in Buildasoil living soil and ready for harvest. Thanks for sharing!

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Nov. 9 (Sat.): Brunch & Blaze Free Cannabis Cultivation Class - "Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned grower, this event is perfect for learning all the tips and tricks to cultivate your own cannabis at home." Hosted by Herbs & Herbs, Natural Harvest and Sun Spectrum Technologies. 10:30 a.m.-noon. Heal Mpls, 4171 N. Lyndale Av., Minneapolis. More info. 

Nov. 10 (Sun.): Pretty Girls Trap Too - "We’re hosting another unique pop-up with the best products in the city!! We got live DJ TwinCity Tone and a range of amazing women vendors!" 7-10 p.m. Dabba TC, 983 Payne Av., St. Paul. More info. 

Nov. 12 (Tue.): Sunset Serenade & Sound Bath - "An evening of gentle renewal with a 45-minute Sunset Serenade & Sound Bath, featuring live, soulful music by Priscilla Momah." 8:15-9 p.m. CannaJoyMN, 4753 Chicago Av., Minneapolis. Tickets and more info. 

Find more cannabis-related events at mnweedevents.com.

Got questions about cannabis? 

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