The City of Eden Prairie is in the early stages of considering whether and how to regulate THC edibles and THC beverages, and plans to meet soon with other municipalities and the League of Minnesota Cities on the topic.
“Most cities will likely get involved in the licensing aspect of it,” Eden Prairie Mayor Ron Case predicted Monday. “Beyond that, I don’t know.”
“I think this is one of those instances where we would not want to be standing out differently than our neighbors,” he added.
Indeed, he said a meeting with the League and a number of other cities is eyed for next week.
One option for cities is to regulate such products, similar to how they regulate tobacco sales. In Eden Prairie, according to City Manager Rick Getschow, that means requiring a license, fee, background check, person-to-person sales and exchanges only, and compliance checks.
It’s also possible that Minnesota legislators will come up with expansive regulations in future sessions. The state law allowing the sale of THC products that recently went into effect is mostly silent on how and where those products can be sold, and under what circumstances.
Under the newly implemented law, adults age 21 and older can possess and consume hemp-based edibles and beverages that contain up to 5 milligrams of THC per serving, with a maximum of 50 milligrams of THC per package. The products cannot contain more than 0.3 percent THC by dry weight, per state and federal statute.
The newly legal products must be derived from certified hemp – which contains trace amounts of the psychoactive compound – rather than marijuana, which remains illegal in Minnesota.
The new law does require the products to be clearly labeled and in child-proof and tamper-evident packaging. The edibles must also not resemble cartoon characters or animals or be modeled after brands primarily consumed by children.
As of yet, there are no restrictions on where THC edibles and beverages can be sold and no limits on how much consumers can purchase.
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