High Levels of THC Found in Sample of Products from Unregulated Minnesota Market
A test of a small sample of products sold in the Twin Cities revealed amounts of THC past the legal limit.
Recently, investigators in Minnesota conducted a small survey of hemp-derived tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products sold in various locations within the city. None of the sites were required to have a license to sell THC products (1).
“The FOX 9 Investigators gathered five different types of THC gummies sold at shops throughout the Twin Cities metro and prepared them for a blind test,” they reported (1). “Each sample was separated into generic containers and labeled ‘A’ through ‘E’ to maintain the anonymity of each product.”
Two of the samples were close to the legal limit of 5 milligrams of THC, but one sample – which the packaging claimed contained 5 milligrams – contained 32 milligrams of THC (1). The final two samples also revealed levels of THC past the legal limit, and the potency for one sample was lower than advertised.
Edibles and beverages containing up to 5 milligrams of hemp-derived THC have been legal in Minnesota since July 2022 (2). Previously, only products containing small amounts of CBD were legal (2). “However, when lawmakers legalized the low-dose THC market, they did so without establishing any rules, which created an unchecked industry with virtually no accountability,” FOX 9 stated (1).
"We need licensing, we need taxation, better regulation and enforcement," said Jill Phillips, executive director of the Board of Pharmacy in December (1). The Board is the only agency with any regulatory oversight and has received dozens of complaints concerning THC products (1).
Legislation is being proposed to legalize cannabis in the state while also creating a regulatory oversight agency. In the meantime, temporary regulations are being suggested. "I am working as hard as I can to shrink that gray area,” said Senator Lindsey Port (DFL), who is sponsoring the legislation (1). “We’ve been talking with folks who do testing. We don’t have capacity in Minnesota right now, is part of the problem. We don’t really have the testing infrastructure because we have such a small medical marijuana program that really we need to scale that up."
References
Cannabis, US Presidential Election 2024, and Beyond: A Roundtable Discussion, Part II
December 17th 2024With the recent 2024 presidential election behind us, the future of cannabis still has many unknowns moving forward and questions still to be discussed. In this roundtable discussion with four knowledgeable industry leaders, we explore the nuanced political landscape of cannabis legalization and rescheduling in the context of the election, including state and federal policies and possible paths forward for testing standardization. Join us in the second part of a compilation of responses from Kim Anzarut, CQA, CP-FS, CEO of Allay Consulting; Susan Audino, PhD, founder of S.A. Audino & Associates, LLC; Zacariah Hildenbrand, PhD, research Professor at the University of Texas at El Paso; and David Vaillencourt, CEO of The GMP Collective.
Cannabis, US Presidential Election 2024, and Beyond: A Roundtable Discussion, Part I
December 16th 2024With the recent 2024 presidential election behind us, the future of cannabis still has many unknowns moving forward and questions still to be discussed. In this roundtable discussion with four knowledgeable industry leaders, we explore the nuanced political landscape of cannabis legalization and rescheduling in the context of the election. We discuss what drives support or opposition from both sides of the aisle, the complexities of balancing state and federal priorities, and more. Join us in the first part of a compilation of responses from Kim Anzarut, CQA, CP-FS, CEO of Allay Consulting; Susan Audino, PhD, founder of S.A. Audino & Associates, LLC; Zacariah Hildenbrand, PhD, research Professor at the University of Texas at El Paso; and David Vaillencourt, CEO of The GMP Collective.
Work Smarter, Not Harder: How ASTM Standards for Cannabinoids Improve Your Operations
December 3rd 2024ASTM Standards D8557-24 and D8556-24, provide unified guidelines for GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and QMS (Quality Management Systems) in cannabis operations. These standards enhance compliance, product safety, and operational consistency across the industry for the benefit of operators, consumers, and other stakeholders in the industry.
