It's not as easy as it sounded, at least that seems to be the sentiment of most Minnesota cities as they are now adjusting to the legalization of marijuana and the glacial speed of the state rollout. Some Central Minnesota cities lumped both cannabis and low-dose THC into the same ordinances in 2025, with the legalization of marijuana, but many are now having to adjust or create new ordinances for the two distinct laws, passed at different times.

Differences Between Low-Dose THC & Cannabis

According to Minnesota's Office of Cannabis Management, OCM, low-dose THC products fall into a narrow window, but the products were legalized in Minnesota before cannabis was, which is what has sewn some cities and boards into confusion. Low-dose THC products are defined by the OCM as:

An ingestible product containing cannabinoids extracted from hemp, with up to 5 milligrams (mg) of THC per edible or 10 mg of THC per beverage, and may include up to 100 mg of cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabinol (CBN), or cannabichromene (CBC) per serving. And only include the following product categories: edible products, beverage products, and hemp-derived tinctures.

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Cannabis, however, is different; when the OCM refers to cannabis, they are often referring to the product that is inhaled through smoking, rather than something edible that you could buy at a bar or gas station. Minnesota's Statute 342.01 has all of the definitions, but in particular, cannabis contains a much stronger dosage of THC than the edibles or drinks you can get outside of a tribal dispensary.

Cities Are Having To Adjust Ordinances, Often Creating Confusion

Since the statewide rollout of cannabis has taken so long, the lag time is giving cities somewhat of an advantage to make sure they are playing fair with the new rules. For example, places selling low-dose THC, such as gas stations and liquor stores, are regulated by cities, such as zoning, but they still need a license to sell from the state.

Cities like Saint Augusta are now changing and separating previous ordinances, lumping cannabis and low-dose THC into two separate ordinances, as the cannabis zoning rules aren't the same for low-dose THC products.

At the next Saint Augusta City Council meeting, the council will look at the ordinance changes proposed by the local planning commission, which would restrict the sales of low-dose THC to 10 a.m.- 9 p.m., 7 days a week, versus allowing sales up until 2 a.m.

Cities are not reopening the THC debate, just planning for cannabis

The bottom line is that many Minnesota cities are splitting these ordinances because it’s cleaner from an ordinance standpoint, safer from a legal perspective, and more practical, as the changes will keep coming from the OCM. Think of it this way:

• Low-dose THC = here now, retail-adjacent, lighter regulation

• Cannabis = future-focused, land-use heavy, politically sensitive

Keeping them separate gives cities flexibility without accidentally breaking something that’s already working.

*Paul Shea is on the Saint Augusta Planning Commission

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