HF4201

Purpose

• Clarify and expand how cannabis and hemp product licensing works in Minnesota.
• Tighten and standardize labeling for cannabis, hemp-derived products, and medical products.
• Permit new licensing combinations while imposing limits to prevent overlap with cannabis licenses.
• Establish clear requirements for how products are tested, labeled, and what information must be shown to consumers.

Main Provisions

• Licensing options and limits

  • People or businesses may hold any combination of lower-potency hemp edible licenses (manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer).
  • Those hemp licenses can be held alongside an industrial hemp cultivation license, and can be held with other non-cannabis licenses (e.g., food, tobacco, nicotine products).
  • A person with lower-potency hemp licenses may not hold a cannabis business license.
  • Licenses must be issued to eligible applicants aged 21 or older, with annual renewal and no transfer of licenses.

• Labeling for cannabis, hemp flower, and hemp products

  • Cannabis flower, hemp plant parts, and hemp-derived consumer products sold to customers or patients must include:
  • Name and license number of the license holder (e.g., cultivator, processor, or business class).
  • Net weight and batch number.
  • Cannabinoid profile.
  • A universal symbol indicating product type (cannabis flower, cannabis product, lower-potency hemp edible, or hemp-derived product).
  • Verification that the product was tested and complies with applicable standards.
  • Usage directions and information on proper use.
  • Warnings to keep out of reach of children and Poison Control information.
  • Any other information required by the state office.

• Medical cannabis labeling

  • Medical cannabis products must also include patient-specific information on the label, such as patient name, date of birth, caregiver information (if applicable), and registry identification numbers.

• Labeling for hemp-derived topicals

  • All hemp-derived topical products must include:
  • Manufacturer contact information and the testing laboratory’s details.
  • Net weight, product type, and cannabinoid content per serving and total.
  • List of ingredients.
  • A disclaimer about claims (not diagnosing, treating, curing, or preventing disease) unless approved by the FDA.
  • Other required information and testing verification.
  • If a topical product contains THC, it must also show THC content, the THC universal symbol, a separate warning symbol, and Poison Control information, plus testing verification.

• Special labeling for lower-potency hemp edibles

  • Lower-potency hemp edibles must include:
  • Information about the hemp cultivation and the producer of the hemp concentrate used in the product (or the license numbers if applicable).
  • Net weight, batch number, serving size.
  • Cannabinoid profile per serving and total THC.
  • List of ingredients and the universal symbol for hemp products.
  • A warning symbol, Poison Control information, testing verification, usage directions, and other required information.
  • Retailers may provide the required information through a scannable barcode on the label if it is accurate and active.

• Cannabinoid content and product approvals

  • Products may contain cannabidiol (CBD) or cannabigerol (CBG), with the office allowed to approve additional non-intoxicating cannabinoids.
  • Other cannabinoids may be allowed only if they are non-intoxicating and the total amount per package meets limits (overall limit of 1 milligram of other cannabinoids per package; total THC must not exceed 0.3% per package).
  • Any cannabinoids beyond those approved must come from hemp concentrate naturally occurring in hemp plants or plant parts.

• Additional labeling considerations

  • The office can adopt alternative labeling for imported lower-potency hemp edibles if the information provided is substantially similar to the required disclosures.

Notable Changes to Existing Law

• Expanded license combinations and restrictions
  • Allows combinations of hemp edible licenses with certain other licenses, but prevents holding a cannabis license if you hold hemp licenses.
• Strict license eligibility and renewal
  • Establishes age 21+, annual renewal, no transfer of licenses, and prohibitions on certain conflicts of interest with state regulators.
• Comprehensive labeling overhaul
  • Introduces uniform labeling content across cannabis, hemp, medical, and topical products, including testing verification, cannabinoid profiles, and consumer safety information.
• New disclosure mechanisms
  • Enables the use of a scannable barcode to share required product information in lieu of printed text on the label for some hemp edibles.
• Strengthened medical labeling
  • Requires patient and caregiver information on medical cannabis product labels.
• Potency and cannabinoid limits
  • Sets a cap on total THC and restricts the presence of non-approved cannabinoids to very small amounts per package unless specifically approved.

How It Works in Practice

• Businesses must manage multiple license types (hemp edibles, potentially cannabis-related activities) and ensure all licenses are current and non-transferable.
• Product packaging must meet the detailed label content requirements, including testing verification, batch numbers, cannabinoid profiles, and clear safety information.
• Medical products will require patient registry details on their labels.
• Lower-potency hemp edibles will require extensive cultivation and manufacturing source information on the label, with an option to use a barcode for delivery of that information.
• Any cannabinoids beyond approved lists must be non-intoxicating and tightly limited, with total THC not exceeding 0.3%.

Relevant Terms - hemp - lower-potency hemp edible - cannabis - cannabis license - hemp edible license - cannabis microbusiness - cannabis mezzobusiness - industrial hemp grower - cannabis flower - hemp-derived product - universal symbol - warning symbol - Minnesota Poison Control Center - testing (section 342.61) - batch number - net weight - serving size - cannabinoid profile - cannabidiol (CBD) - cannabigerol (CBG) - non-intoxicating cannabinoids - hemp concentrate - scannable barcode - medical cannabis - medical cannabinoid product - independent accredited laboratory