| Note from Jen Randolph Reise | September 8, 2023 Happy fall! Minnesota's next compliance deadline is October 1st. Businesses creating or selling hemp-derived products must register with OCM by this deadline! For more information on this, and how to register, see the section below. I need your help getting this message out to the many retailers selling these products who may not be paying attention. Please share the link below with them! I'm also willing to come speak to groups large and small. | | | What's the deal with October 1? | This is the deadline for all sellers of Hemp-derived THC products to register with Minnesota's Office of Cannabis Management. Businesses who do not register by October 1st will no longer be able to legally sell these products! OCM is taking a broad view that all retailers and manufacturers that sell to the public (such as breweries that make hemp-THC beverages) must register, and out-of-state manufacturers that sell online or to businesses in Minnesota must also register. The registration is free and fairly painless. At the same time, it begins the compliance process for hemp-derived THC businesses in Minnesota. In other words, it is time for this industry to pay attention. North Star is building resources for the hemp-derived industry. To get free info, business owners can sign up at: https://northstarlaw.com/landing/mn-hemp-derived-cannabis-compliance/ Please share the link with your contacts so they can continue to sell these products! We are also sponsoring an educational and networking event on Monday, September 25 for the hemp-based industry, put on by Canna Connect at Minneapolis Cider Company's lovely event space. Hope to see you there. | The Minnesota leaders working to form the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) held an informational webcast back on Aug. 16. One key takeaway is that they intend to spend all of 2023 to fall of 2024 on rule making. This means retail dispensaries will not be able to open until at least Spring of 2025. This is disappointing, but I am optimistic for the transparency and commitment to community input that they showed on their webinar. For more, the Northern Lights podcast had a good summary of this webinar at the end of Episode 6. | On the federal front, federal agencies are recommending moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III! (This is a result of Pres. Biden's directive to them to consider rescheduling.) While this process is ongoing, and Schedule III has its issues, this is a step in the right direction. If cannabis is moved down to a Schedule III, it will help ease some restrictions holding the sector back. Specifically, it would allow cannabis companies to write off their business expenses under IRS Code 280E for federal taxes. As of now, cannabis companies are not allowed to write off their business expenses because 280E does not allow a business to write off expenses when their business works with Schedule I drugs. This is a developing story and North Star Law Group will keep you up to date as this potential change materializes! Here's a good blog from our friends over at Harris Bricken if you want to learn more. | Client Highlight: Higher State Marketing | Thank you again to client Higher State Marketing for hosting a successful event on August 24 discussing what cannaprenuers can do now, in advance of licensing! And if you missed that one (it sold out in 3 days!), we are doing it again on Wednesday, Sept. 20. Buy tickets here. | If your cannabis business wants to expand and make a greater impression on the market, Higher State Marketing Collective has the tools and intelligence to take it to the next level. With a studio conveniently located in the Central Twin Cities area, Higher State Marketing Collective has claimed their spot in the cannabis marketing arena and they are making waves. Motivated and owned by results-driven women who are inspired by plants (namely cannabis), Higher State Marketing Collective takes your vision and accelerates your business to the front of the online pack. Movement-focused intentional photography brings your products, events, and ideas to life and attracts consumers. Understanding that just having a great website isn’t enough, Higher State Marketing Collective strategically utilizes the additional push of Search Engine Optimization (“SEO”) to maximize your online presence. By fully integrating SEO tools, this strategically allows your business to get ahead of the competition in Google searches and turns your website into a lead machine - increasing your credibility, visibility and providing a better user experience to your target market. Because social media is federally regulated, any cannabis information that you post on your social media sites are at risk for complete removal. With the expertise of Higher State Marketing Collective, your business will be sure to thrive on its own website that can then be shared to your social media page for greater control. To see how Higher State Marketing Collective can help increase your small cannabis business' reach, send them an email at: hi@higherstatemarketing.com. | | | Jen will be speaking twice at Twin Cities Startup Week: For cannapreneurs: "Launching a Cannabis Business in Minnesota" On Tuesday September 19, 2023 10:30am - 11:30am CDT BŪCH Fermentary & Taproom https://sched.co/1Q80E and a panel aimed at audiences *not* necessarily in the industry, with criminal defense attorney James Gempeler and employment lawyer Kate Bischoff: "Navigating Minnesota's New Cannabis Laws" Wednesday September 20, 2023 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT BŪCH Fermentary & Taproom https://sched.co/1PqYl We'll discuss three distinct areas: 1) Employment law changes relevant to all businesses with Minnesota employees: drug testing, policy changes, dealing with on-the-job impairment, etc.; 2) How the bill changes criminal laws and expunges past cannabis offenses; and 3) When and what consumers can expect, and how this interacts with the hemp-derived Delta 8 and 9 THC products currently on store shelves. | Drop by North Star's table at the Legacy Cup festival and get some of our new merch! Hope to see you there. We're also so proud of attorney Matt Overcast, who was selected as a judge for the competition! | Questions? Ready for a strategy session for your business? Schedule time with Jen in the next 2 weeks at this link, or call her at (651) 384-2819 or e-mail at jen@northstarlaw.com. | | | 413 Wacouta Street, Suite 550 Saint Paul, MN 55101 | | | | | Nothing in the above newsletter should be considered as legal advice. Please consult with your attorney 1:1 for personalized advice on your legal issues. | | | |