Cannabis News
Minnesota Hemp Businesses And Senators Say Federal THC Ban Will Hurt The State’s Economy
“Senator Klobuchar voted against the hemp provision because he believed it would hurt the state’s small businesses.”
Minnesota has a growing industry of intoxicating hemp products, including soft drinks and gummies. A product ban making its way through Congress in a bill that would reopen the federal government.
The bill gives the industry 365 days before all products containing more than 0.4 milligrams of THC (a trace) are outlawed. Christopher Lackner, president of the Hemp Beverages Alliance, hopes to give the industry time to push back against the provision, which he called “arbitrary” and “punitive.”
He said he’s betting on “the pushback from consumers, suppliers and distributors and everyone else in the supply chain” that a ban on THC-infused products made from hemp will cause.
“Our hope as an industry is that Congress will come back and meet with all the stakeholders and build a federal hemp beverage framework that worksLackner said.
The 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp, removing it from the federal definition of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act and treating it as an agricultural commodity. It also opened the doors to the production of “modifying” products derived from hemp.
Minnesota led the nation in harnessing the redefinition of hemp. Whitney Economics’ Latest report on THC beverages It estimated total US THC beverage sales to exceed $1.1 billion in 2024, and Minnesota was a key state in that growth.
Success has come at a price, however. Competing industries, mostly the nation’s nascent legal marijuana industry and, more recently, the beer and spirits industries, furiously lobbied to shut down what they saw as “the loophole”. in the 2018 Farm Bill that has led to an explosion of hemp-infused products.
The marijuana and alcohol industries say hemp products are largely unregulated and some contain dangerous amounts of THC. They also say there are no labeling and marketing restrictions or efforts to keep THC-infused drinks and edibles away from children.
On Monday, the Beer Institute, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States and other alcohol trade groups He sent a lobbying letter to members of CongressSen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., urging the rejection of an amendment that would have removed the bill’s blackout language.
“Producers of alcoholic beverages, one of the top consumer products, are asking the Senate to reject Paul’s attempts to allow hemp-derived THC products to be sold across the country without federal regulation and oversight,” the letter said.
Their argument won the day.
The legislation that would have ended the shutdown includes three appropriations bills in fiscal year 2026 to fund various government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where the hemp provision was inserted. All other federal agencies would receive short-term funding — through the end of January — under a continuing resolution, or CR.
While the hemp industry lost the lobbying battle, it gained supporters in the US Capitol. Paul, for example, blocked Senate GOP leaders from getting unanimous approval to fast-track the shutdown bill, which overcame a six-week Democratic gridlock on a 60-40 vote Sunday afternoon.
The US Senate voted to table—or reject—the Paul amendment, 76-24. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D) and Tina Smith (D) of Minnesota were in the minority in support of the effort to remove the hemp language.
“Senator Klobuchar voted against the hemp provision because he believed it would harm the state’s small businesses and because Congress’ efforts to regulate hemp products should take into account states like Minnesota that already have strong regulations,” a Klobuchar spokesperson said.
Lackner also said lawmakers in Congress were trampling on states’ rights to regulate intoxicating hemp products.
“This is a slap in the face to states like Minnesota that have developed regulatory frameworks based on stakeholder input,” he said.
The hemp switch is wrong from every angle‘
Steve Brown, CEO of Nothing but Hemp, a Northeast Minneapolis-based company that makes THC-infused gummies and drinks, brewery emulsions and a variety of other hemp-based products, said the shutdown bill could spur a move into the marijuana industry.
That said, if President Donald Trump signs the legislation, as expected, the manufacture and sale of its products will be illegal under federal law, and it will have a major impact on its market.
Brown said liquor stores could not offer any of his drinks on the shelves. Microbreweries, which have tried to combat declining beer sales by offering THC drinks that are more popular than alcohol among young people, would be breaking federal law if they continued to offer such libations.
And retail stores, including Target, would likely stop selling THC-infused drinks and other products because customers wouldn’t be able to pay for them with credit cards due to federal banking rules.
Shipping THC-infused products across state lines would also be against federal law.
“I think it’s wrong from every angle,” Brown said of the hemp provision in the shutdown legislation.
Brown said he manufactures about 2 million cans a year and that his THC-infused beverage operation is small compared to other Minnesota companies.
He said he started his business in a kiosk with a sign that read “Try CBD,” a non-intoxicating hemp ingredient that is praised for its medicinal value. If hemp-infused drinks and edibles are outlawed, Brown says he’s preparing to turn Nothing but Hemp, which has 60 employees, into a marijuana business.
Jim Taylor, a spokesman for the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management, said “any draft or proposed (hemp) language is being reviewed to see its impact on Minnesota.”
“This is a complex policy issue, and we are reviewing it with the Attorney General,” Taylor said.
Just signed by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison a letter They said unregulated THC products pose a threat to the general public along with 38 other attorneys general.
David Ladd, president of the Minnesota Industrial Hemp Association, said his group has tried to be as neutral as possible on the issue. But he said the state’s hemp growers also don’t want to “stifle innovation and investment” in hemp, which can be used to produce a variety of products, including biofuels, paper and textiles.
“I get regulations and sponsors for hemp products,” Ladd said. “But an arbitrary change in the definition of hemp is no substitute for measured regulation.”
The US Senate gave final approval to the shutdown bill late Monday. The legislation now heads to the US House, where Minnesota’s Democratic House members are expected to join the state’s two Democratic senators — Klobuchar and Smith — to reject the legislation.
So the longest government shutdown is on its way to an end after eight moderate Democrats in the US Senate dropped their opposition to the bill. GOP leaders said they offered a fair deal because the legislation would protect programs from Trump’s budget cuts and the Affordable Care Act subsidy extension promised by Senate Leader John Thune (R-SD) in exchange for Democrats’ votes to reopen the government.
This led to an onslaught of criticism from Democratic colleagues and Democratic voters.
Rep. Angie Craig, D-2. Barrutiko, for example, posted on social media “If people think this is a ‘deal’, I have a bridge to sell you.”
This the article appeared for the first time MinnPost and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 4.0 International License.
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Ora Pharm has confirmed that New Zealand patients, prescribers and pharmacies continue to have uninterrupted access to Helius Therapeutics products following the successful acquisition of the business and its key assets, directly challenging the misinformation being circulated to patients and prescribers by cannabis importer MW Pharma Limited (trading as NUBU).
Industry monitoring was highlighted on Monday, July 20th, when Helius Therapeutics announced that NZ Grow Co. As he inaugurated Growers Day. The event demonstrated the full operational strength, advanced capabilities and integrated supply chain now fully operational under Ora Pharm’s leadership to support the growth of the NZ sector.
At the event, CEO Zoë Reece addressed concerns stemming from a July 9 industry bulletin distributed by NUBU, which stated that “Helius Therapeutics has ceased production and all products are now discontinued.”
© Ora Pharm
Ora Pharm said the statement was incorrect and had the potential to create unnecessary uncertainty in a highly regulated healthcare sector.
“Inaccurate information about the availability of medicines can cause unnecessary worry for patients, prescribers and pharmacies, interfere with treatment decisions and undermine confidence in the New Zealand cannabis industry.”
Ora Pharm completed the business and acquisition of key assets of Helius Therapeutics on June 18, 2026, resuming manufacturing, packaging and nationwide distribution the following day. All Helius brand formulated products and locally grown products remain approved and available for patient supply.
CEO Zoë Reece said the company’s focus is on ensuring continuity of care while strengthening New Zealand’s medicinal cannabis industry.
“The Helius facility gives New Zealand growers direct access to world-class pharmaceutical drying, extraction and manufacturing capabilities. Combined with NZ Grow Co., we are creating a secure and integrated pathway from cultivation to finished products and international markets. Our focus is on clinical continuity, quality assurance and confidence in patients and prescribing physicians every day.”
© Ora Pharm
The integration of the GMP-certified Auckland manufacturing facility with NZ Grow Co.’s cultivation network creates New Zealand’s largest medicinal cannabis supply chain. This unified network insulates domestic patients from volatile international import dependencies while providing independent local growers with a transparent, high-standard route to export markets.
Ora Pharm remains committed to working collaboratively across the sector to support patient access, strengthen confidence in the New Zealand cannabis industry and continue to invest in New Zealand’s pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity.
For more information:
Ora Pharm
(email protected)
www.orapharm.co.nz
Increasing public scrutiny has questioned whether the use of peat is environmentally sustainable. A new review According to Dr. James Altland, research director of the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, and Dr. Bruce Bugbee of Utah State University, they present a more nuanced picture than much of the current evidence portrays.
“Much of the debate in the popular press suggests that the use of peat in horticulture is unsustainable because it causes global warming and other environmental impacts,” shares James. “We have seen that agriculture is much more sustainable than some parties in the media want us to believe.”
© USDA
Differences between regions matter
The review states that assessments of peatland sustainability should differentiate between regions. While European peatlands have been heavily impacted by centuries of drainage and peat extraction, most Canadian peatlands remain undisturbed, with only a small proportion used for horticulture. According to the authors, this distinction is important when assessing the environmental impact of peat production.
“Currently, Canadian peatlands are sequestering carbon faster than the rate of extraction from container crop production. At current rates of extraction and with appropriate restoration, peatland use in North America is environmentally sustainable.”
The authors note that horticultural peat extraction in Canada accounts for only a small fraction of the total peatland area and that harvested sites are routinely restored after production.
© USDA
Restoration supports long-term recovery
The paper highlights the role of restoration practices, particularly the Moss Layer Transfer Technique (MLTT), in restoring peat-forming ecosystems.
“Restoration techniques, such as the moss layer transfer technique, can turn harvested peatlands into carbon sinks over decades,” he added. The review found that restored peatlands can restore vegetation, biodiversity and carbon sequestration functions over time, while improvements in water storage and hydrological performance are also documented.
© USDA
Alternatives also have environmental impacts
The researchers also looked at published life cycle assessments comparing them to substrates such as peat, korea, wood fiber, perlite and rock wool. “Life cycle assessments show that alternative substrates often have environmental impacts comparable to or greater than peat, especially when considering water use, transport and fertilizer inputs.”
The review concludes that comparisons depend on system limitations and assumptions, and that broad claims that alternatives are inherently more sustainable than peat are not consistently supported by published analyses.
© USDA
Figure A: Global carbon storage in natural systems (Gt, gigatons)
(Hirschler and Osterburg, 2022; Cleary et al, 2005; IPCC, 2023)
Performance remains an important consideration
Beyond sustainability, the paper reviews the functional characteristics that have made peat the reference substrate for container production.
“Soil’s high cation exchange capacity, water retention and stability support optimal plant growth and nutrient uptake,” shares James. The authors point out that these properties contribute to efficient irrigation and fertilizer management, maintaining good root zone conditions.
Although wood fibers, coir, and other materials can reduce peat use in mixes, each introduces its own management considerations, such as nutrient immobilization, water use, or processing requirements.
© USDA
Figure B: Annual carbon flux from human activities and sequestration through natural processes (Gt CO2-eq per year)
(Hirschler and Osterburg, 2022; Cleary et al, 2005; IPCC, 2023)
Managing future demand
As the global demand for soilless growth media is expected to increase significantly in the coming decades, the authors believe that a variety of substrate materials will be required.
“At current rates of extraction and with appropriate restoration, peat use in North America is environmentally sustainable and remains essential for horticulture and urban greening.”
For more information:
US Department of Agriculture
James Altland, Head of Research
Application Technologies Research Unit
(email protected)
www.usda.gov
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