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ST. PAUL — More than a year after Minnesota legalized cannabis in 2023, Minnesota lawmakers continue to tinker with cannabis regulations in the state.
While the fight to legalize cannabis is over in Minnesota, the war for how the industry takes shape is not. Bills to ramp up regulations, relax restrictions and remove outdated language remain scattered across the state Senate and House floor.
Bills this session include proposals to raise the legal age someone can use cannabis products from 21 to 25, repeal the tax on the sale of illegal cannabis or controlled substances, and approve millions of dollars in grants for cannabis manufacturing and education.
“The regulatory process for cannabis is ongoing and ever-evolving. In other states that have legalized adult-use cannabis, we see laws have continued to adapt even after markets are launched and mature,” Jim Walker, spokesperson for the Office of Cannabis Management, said in an emailed statement.
Over 30 bills centered around cannabis regulations are currently moving through the Minnesota Legislature.
Tightening restrictions on cannabis products
HF65
: Mandates cannabis and substance use education for students between grades 6 through 12. This bill has been referred to the Education Finance Committee.
SF313
: Bans a person from carrying a firearm if they are enrolled in the medical cannabis registry prohibition. This bill has been referred to the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.
SF556/HF755
: Bans combusted or vaporized cannabis products that are given a flavor other than cannabis. It also outlaws advertisements that promote mixing alcohol with cannabis or hemp products. This bill has been referred to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.
SF795/HF2198
: Allows for penalties to be imposed for the use of medical cannabis flower or medical cannabinoid products in multifamily housing. This bill has been referred to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.
SF1820/HF1844
: Similar to SF556, SF1820 bans all inhaled cannabis products that are given a common food flavor and any advertising in the product that would suggest it imparts a flavor other than cannabis. This bill has been referred to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.
SF2142/HF752
: Authorizes local governments to ban the sale of cannabis products as well as prohibit the registration or establishment of new cannabis businesses within their jurisdiction. Businesses that applied for a license to operate in a jurisdiction that ended up banning cannabis businesses would be given a refund by the OCM. This bill has been referred to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.
SF2173
: Mandates that businesses inform customers about the specific potential side effects of using cannabis and advise them not to drive or use heavy machinery while still under the effect of cannabis. This bill has been referred to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.
SF2174
: Requires the OCM to enforce stronger THC and potency regulations. These regulations include banning liquid or solid cannabis concentrates that exceed 30% THC content, low-potency hemp edibles or hemp-derived products that exceed 0.3% THC potency, and topical and transdermal cannabis or hemp products with more than 500 milligrams of THC content. The OCM would also be prohibited from approving cannabis flavors or prerolled joints that have been infused with additional THC. This bill has been referred to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.
SF2175
: Moves up the date in which a school district must implement a comprehensive education program about cannabis and substance use from the 2026-27 school year to the 2025-26 school year. This bill has been referred to the Education Policy Committee, but was withdrawn and sent back to the author.
SF2172
: Raises the age someone can own or use cannabis products or obtain a license to sell cannabis products from 21 to 25 years old. The bill also mimics the language in SF1820, SF2173, SF2174 and SF2175. This bill has been referred to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.
SF2370/HF1615
: Prohibits cannabis beverage products from having more than 10 milligrams of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol. This bill has been referred to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.
Loosening cannabis regulations
SF204/HF1094
: Clarifies that expungements or resentences are for when a person committed a first-, second-, third-, fourth- or fifth-degree controlled substance crime involving the sale or possession of cannabis that did not involve a dangerous weapon, bodily harm or the attempt to cause fear in another. This bill has received a second reading in the Senate.
SF 209/HF308
: Repeals the tax on the sale of illegal cannabis or controlled substances. This bill has received a do-pass recommendation by the Taxes Committee and Judiciary and Public Safety Committee and is now being re-referred to the Taxes Committee.
HF1254
: Classifies tetrahydrocannabivarin, also known as THCV, which is similar to THC, as a nonintoxicating cannabinoid. Cannabis concentrate products consumed through combustion or vaporization can not have a potency lower than 90%. It also lowers the ownership requirements for a social equity applicant. This bill has been referred to the Commerce Finance and Policy Committee.
HF1634
: Allows municipalities that have a municipal cannabis store to also hold a lower-potency hemp edible retailer license. This bill has been referred to the Commerce Finance and Policy Committee.
SF2372/HF1877
: Enables a license holder to sell immature cannabis plants, seeds and flowers to other cannabis businesses. It also corrects wording in previous statutes. This proposal is supported by the OCM, Walker said. This bill has been referred to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.
SF2641/HF1735
: Allows wholesalers to import, purchase or sell lower-potency hemp edibles from or to cannabis businesses. This bill has been referred to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.
Funding cannabis in the state
SF1449/HF2033
: Increases the maximum loan the state can give to a cannabis microbusiness. The bill also allows nonprofits to cover expenses by retaining loan interest payments or using contract funds. This bill has been referred to the Jobs and Economic Development Committee.
SF2216/HF2443
: Allocates around $37 million to the OCM in 2026 and around $40 million in 2027. Of that, $16 million annually will go to different community-based grants. The bill also gives more leeway to the commissioner of the OCM to transfer money and positions within the department. It also approves the creation of cannabis testing licenses to be overseen by the OCM. This bill has been referred to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.
SF2255/HF2433
: Appropriates $120,000 for schools and school districts to access cannabis and substance use resources. This bill has been referred to the Education Finance Committee.
SF2373/HF2441
: Funds $33,000 annually to help develop standards and technical assistance for growing Minnesota’s legal cannabis industry. This bill has received a do-pass recommendation by the Labor Committee and the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee and has been re-referred to the Labor Committee.
SF2374/HF2437
: Repeals local government cannabis aid and partial cannabis tax revenue by 2026. Any funds remaining by 2026 are sent to the general fund. Over $1.8 million was given to counties and cities in 2024 through the local government cannabis aid. This bill has been referred to the Taxes Committee.
HF2432
: Provides around $5.3 million in 2026 and again in 2027 to the cannabis expungement board. This bill has been referred to the Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee.
SF2483/HF2431
: Approves $1 million annually for grants to employers in the cannabis industry, with priority given to social equity applicants. This bill has been referred to the Higher Education Committee.
SF2669/HF2435
: Appropriates over $8 million for local and tribal public health cannabis grants. This bill has been referred to the Health and Human Services Committee.
Ironing out licensing, access
HF1470
: Adds the OCM director to the opioids, substance use and addiction subcabinet. This bill has been referred to the State Government Finance and Policy Committee.
SF1729/HF1271
: Clarifies the regulation of low-potency hemp-derived products. This bill has been referred to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.
SF1730/HF1310
: Adds the OCM as an official state agency in a previous state law that requires state agencies to meet regularly with tribal nations and inform them of any agency actions that would impact the tribe directly. When the state law passed, the OCM did not yet exist. This bill has received a do-pass recommendation from the State and Local Government Committee and has been re-referred to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.
SF1731/HF1734
: Requires that cannabis license renewals include proof that the applicant is a social equity applicant and proof that the business complies with the regulations required by state law for the license. SF1729, SF1730 and SF1731 are all supported by the OCM, Walker said. This bill has been referred to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.
SF2165/HF2426
: Entitles businesses with a medical cannabis combination license to manufacture or deliver cannabis flowers or products to sell to a cannabis business. It also allows the license holder to deliver the cannabis flowers or products to a person enrolled in the medical cannabis registry or their loved one. A medicinal cannabis business can also request to increase the area of plant canopy in which they can cultivate cannabis. This bill has been referred to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.
SF2371/HF1672
: Outlines distribution to patients in the tribal medicinal cannabis program. To receive medicinal cannabis, the tribal medical cannabis program patient must show the cannabis business employee a photo ID and a medical cannabis verification card. The business must ensure the product has a patient-specific label, inform the patient of anything required by the OCM and create a report of the transaction. The bill also protects tribal nations from any civil penalties due to the patient misusing the cannabis product. Under the bill, schools can not refuse to enroll a patient or penalize them and landlords can not refuse to lease a property or penalize a patient solely because cannabis is a controlled substance. This proposal is supported by the OCM, Walker said. This bill received a do-pass recommendation from the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee and has been re-referred to the Health and Human Services Committee.
SF2878
: Requires the OCM to review all social equity licensing applications before reviewing the general business license applications. This bill has been referred to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.
“}]] Less than two years after cannabis was legalized, lawmakers continue to adjust cannabis regulations through roughly 30 bills currently moving through the Minnesota Legislature Read More
