Gov. Tim Walz last week signed a bill passed by the Minnesota Legislature allowing businesses manufacturing lower-potency hemp edibles (LPHEs) to continue using out-of-state testing facilities until May 31, 2027, as long as those labs are able to meet criteria established by the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM).
Championed by legislative partners Senator Lindsey Port and Representative Jess Hanson, the allowance will immediately relieve pressure on both the hemp and cannabis supply chains created by limited capacity of the state’s current three licensed testing facilities to keep up with product demand created by eager customers and new businesses entering the market.
Business leaders in the state’s LPHE industry — which includes low-dose THC edibles and the THC beverages that have become ubiquitous in Minnesota breweries — worked with OCM and state legislators to craft this bipartisan bill.
OCM Executive Director Eric Taubel testified in support of the change as it provides immediate relief to licensed LPHE and cannabis businesses who are facing extended wait times for products to be tested.
The change in state law comes at a time of new uncertainty for hemp businesses across the country due to federal legislation. Last November, President Trump signed a spending bill containing a provision that will ban hemp-derived products containing more than 0.4 milligrams of THC in November 2026, which could have a devastating effect on the LPHE market, including the THC beverage industry in Minnesota.
