Minnesotans who are 21 and older will be able to legally buy edibles and beverages that contain THC, the active ingredient in cannabis.
The new law greenlights edibles and beverages that contain up to 5 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) per serving and 50 milligrams per package. However, it appears that Republican lawmakers who passed it did not quite realize what they were doing.
"I thought we were doing a technical fix, and it winded up having a broader impact than I expected," said GOP Sen. Jim Abeler who chairs the Senate Human Services Reform Finance and Policy Committee.
Before the new legislation came into effect, hemp and cannabidiol (CBD) products were legal in Minnesota only if they contained less than 0.3% delta-9 THC. But delta-8 products were not regulated by this legal threshold. Now, any form of THC appears to be legalized in Minnesota.
Abeler, however, has already suggested that the law should be reversed, but it might be too late. State Majority Leader Ryan Winkler has already said that the suggestion was "ridiculous", reminding his Republican colleague that he "signed the conference report" and therefore voted for the legislation himself.
Now that the GOP lawmakers in Minnesota appeared to have inadvertently helped Democrats with the agenda that was not particularly supported by Republicans, social media users are giggling over the happenstance.
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© Photo : Twitter / @rastapasta_9
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© Photo : Twitter / @SamiBanatMN
Someone even found themselves in a mood for some on-point poetry.
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© Photo : Twitter / @cinatyte
But not everyone was in the mood for jokes. For Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, the thought of the Minnesota Republicans accidentally passing legislation did not seem funny.
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© Photo : Twitter / @IlhanMN
Despite the Republican calls to reverse the newly-approved bill, it has already come into effect, with THC-induced edibles and beverages being legal for those 21 or older starting July 1.
The legislation was forged by Democratic Rep. Heather Edelson, who said the bill was born in an effort to improve oversight of the emerging market. Star Tribune reported that Steven Brown, CEO of Nothing But Hemp, has already announced the sales of a dozen new THC products in his company's retail stores in the state. Among the products that are in the works are non-alcoholic THC beers and seltzers, with Brown claiming he wants to "promote cannabis over alcohol" to the residents of the North Star State.