THC-infused edibles and beverages were made legal for Minnesotans 21 and older on Friday, and now lawmakers are looking to clarify precisely what the law they passed means.
One question being raised is whether or not the edibles will be allowed to have images that could appeal to children.
State Rep. Heather Edelson (DFL-Edina) sponsored the bill and gave a clear answer on whether or not vendors could sell edibles that look like candy.
The answer? No.
"It is illegal. It is very clearly written in the law that it should not take the form of candy… so yes," Edleson said. But she continued, adding that "there's going to be some problems of how do we enforce this."
Lawmakers have proposed enforcing the rule through fines from local governments, and another is by working with the League of Minnesota Cities to ensure compliance.
House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (DFL- Plymouth) authored the bill and gave insight into it, saying it is a step forward for the state.
"We have a lot of work to do in Minnesota on cannabis legalization, but this is an important step forward, and the door is now open to consumers having access to products containing THC that many of them prefer to consume," Winkler said.
Since its passing, several Republican state lawmakers have come out saying that they didn't know it was in the bill when they passed it or that it was passed by accident, but Winkler disagrees. He says it was done on purpose, and they aren't going back.
"I don't think we are going to go backward. Despite comments in the press from some republican leaders, Minnesota strongly favors this change. We absolutely did this on purpose," Winkler said. "It was an intentional step forward, and it is an opportunity for Minnesota businesses and Minnesota consumers to have access to a product that can be safe."
Angela Dawson, a hemp farmer from Pine County, the co-founder of the Forty Acre Cooperative, and president of The Great Rise, has shared her thoughts on the move from state lawmakers.
Dawson, whose county is among the poorest in the state, shared that the bill will do a lot to help with equity in her community, creating new opportunities for farmers across the state.
"On behalf of the Forty Acre Coop members, the farmers who depend on us to have economically sustainable markets in order to grow our crops and to sell them within the state, we are excited about moving forward," Dawson said. "To create economic equity within this new structure. We want to legalize, equalize and also rise to the occasion of equity for Minnesota."
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