Happy Legalization Day!
Today is the day many people worked years and even decades to achieve: legalization to possess and consume cannabis in Minnesota. There are so many reasons to celebrate, but here are a couple of things to keep in mind.
You can now have two pounds of cannabis flower in your home or two ounces when outside your home. Your limited to 8 grams of cannabis concentrate and 800 mg of edible products. At each residence, a +21 year or older adult can grow up to eight cannabis plants with four mature at a time. (Note: it is per residence, not per adult. Don’t try growing twenty-four plants because you have two roommates and yourself.) If you get more than two pounds of flower from your harvest, you can and should give away two ounces at a time to individuals to stay at the two-pound amount. Key words are “give away,” meaning without anything of value in return.
If you own a business, do not try the shenanigans seen in other states where you buy a $50 sticker or something of low actual value and get some free cannabis flower with purchase. There is specific language in the law preventing this action, and you could be charged with a crime of selling without a license. Why take unnecessary risks, endangering your business’s chances of getting a cannabis license when we are so close to the adult-use market?
While it may seem hard to believe, not everyone is happy about this change. Be courteous about where and how you consume. Consider your neighbors before partaking in your yard; you do have to live with them. Get to know your city’s ordinances about where and how you can consume.
The laws surrounding hemp and cannabis have been beyond confusing for everyone the past couple of years. Many of the law enforcement members I have spoken with complain that it has not been clear what is and is not allowed under the law or what their role is in enforcing those laws. Because of this, be cognizant on where you are consuming. Keep your cannabis in the trunk of your vehicle and do not consume in your vehicle (even if parked). Don’t flash your stash.
As Minnesota legalizes cannabis and creates its adult-use market, there is plenty of incorrect information floating around – not necessarily on purpose but because this is a tricky area of law. Do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
