Hemp Laws & Licensing · MN
Minnesota hemp laws & licensing
At a glance
- Retail license / registration required?
- Yes — OCM license types and fees (LPHE retailer, manufacturer, wholesaler)
- Minimum age
- 21+
- State THC caps (hemp products)
- 5 mg THC per serving · 50 mg per package
- Hemp-derived THC products · online sales
- Legal (with the state's rules) · online: Prohibited
- Key law
- Minn. Stat. §342.46 as amended by SF 2370 (2025) and 2026 Ch. 123; OAH order 24-4800-41292 (2026-02-12) — effective August 1, 2026
The law today
Minnesota licenses hemp-derived THC products as 'lower-potency hemp edibles' (LPHEs) under Minn. Stat. ch. 342: edibles may contain no more than 5 mg delta-9 THC per serving and 50 mg per package, beverages no more than 10 mg THC per container, with limits on other cannabinoids and a 20:1 ratio rule for artificially derived cannabinoids; sales are to adults 21+ only. Since April 1, 2026 every seller must hold an OCM LPHE retailer license ($250 + $250 per location, plus local registration), makers an LPHE manufacturer license and distributors a wholesaler license, replacing the old hemp-derived cannabinoid business registration; the product transition period ended the same day, so all products must meet chapter 342 / Minn.
R. 9810 testing and labeling. Industrial hemp growing and processing are licensed by MDA under chapter 18K, and the federal 0.4 mg per container redefinition (delayed to December 11, 2026) is the main pending change.
Who regulates it
Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM)mn.gov (opens in a new tab)
Licenses lower-potency hemp edible (LPHE) retailers, manufacturers and wholesalers and all cannabis businesses; product testing/labeling rules (Minn. Stat. ch. 342; Minn. R. ch. 9810)
Minnesota Department of Agriculture – Hemp Programmda.state.mn.us (opens in a new tab)
Licenses industrial hemp growers and processors (Minn. Stat. ch. 18K)
Cannabis regulator
Hemp-derived THC products here run through the cannabis system: Minnesota Office of Cannabis Managementmn.gov (opens in a new tab)
Licenses & registrations
OCM license types and fees (LPHE retailer, manufacturer, wholesaler)mn.gov (opens in a new tab)
- Who needs it
- LPHE retailer: any business selling packaged lower-potency hemp edibles (incl. THC beverages) to consumers 21+; manufacturer: makes/packages LPHEs; wholesaler: distributes between hemp/cannabis businesses
- Fee
- Retailer $250 application + $250 initial/renewal per location (plus local registration up to $125); manufacturer $250 + $1,000; wholesaler $250 + $10,000
- Who needs it
- All OCM license applicants (rolling LPHE applications reopened April 1, 2026)
- Fee
- Not stated on the official page
- Who needs it
- Existing hemp-derived cannabinoid businesses transitioning to chapter 342 licenses
- Fee
- Not stated on the official page
MDA industrial hemp grower/processor licensemda.state.mn.us (opens in a new tab)
- Who needs it
- Anyone growing or processing raw hemp (2026 application period closed; 2027 opens in November)
- Fee
- Not stated on the official page
The law
- Minn. Stat. 342.46 – Lower-potency hemp edible retailersrevisor.mn.gov (opens in a new tab)
- Minn. Stat. 342.01 – definitions incl. lower-potency hemp edible (subd. 50: 5 mg THC/serving; 10 mg beverage container)revisor.mn.gov (opens in a new tab)
- Minn. Stat. ch. 18K – Industrial hemprevisor.mn.gov (opens in a new tab)
- Minn. R. ch. 9810 – OCM cannabis and hemp rulesrevisor.mn.gov (opens in a new tab)
- OCM guide: Hemp Businesses in Minnesota v1.4 (April 1, 2026)mn.gov (opens in a new tab)
Testing & COAs
Need a lab? COA analysis partners
Steps to a compliant hemp business in Minnesota
- 1
Register the business with the Minnesota Secretary of State and obtain a Minnesota tax ID (LPHEs are subject to the 10% cannabis gross receipts tax plus sales tax)
- 2
Growers/processors of raw hemp: apply for the MDA hemp license during the annual window (opens in November for the next season)
- 3
Manufacturers: apply for the OCM LPHE manufacturer license ($250 + $1,000) through the OCM licensing portal; test each batch at an OCM-approved lab and label per Minn. R. 9810
- 4
Retailers: apply for the OCM LPHE retailer license ($250 + $250 per location) and register with the city/county (up to $125); add endorsements for delivery or on-site consumption if needed
- 5
Wholesalers/distributors: obtain the LPHE wholesaler license ($250 + $10,000)
- 6
Stock only compliant products (max 5 mg THC/serving, 50 mg/package, 10 mg per beverage container), verify buyers are 21+, and keep testing records for 5 years
On Good Hemp Distro
Recreational (21+) market in Minnesota
Closed on GHDThe Recreational (21+) market isn't available in Minnesota: state law doesn't allow these products to be sold online or shipped to consumers.
State law: no online sales.
Live status — it changes as state rules are verified and as the federal cutoff approaches. Everyday Hemp, Industrial and Services products are available everywhere.
Sources & verification
- Verified
- September 29, 2026 — every official link above was fetched and checked on that date.
- Confidence
- High confidence — Official pages verified; law summarised from primary sources.
- Research notes
- mn.gov pages block automated curl (403) but loaded through the fetch tool; content verified. The 50 mg per package figure is from OCM's guide (statute 342.01 subd. 50 as fetched lists the per-serving and beverage limits). License fees are from OCM's license-types page; local registration cap per OCM guide.
- Good Hemp Distro market notes
- IN-STATE ONLY: sales to Minnesota consumers require an OCM lower-potency hemp edible retailer license (physical Minnesota location) plus local registration; out-of-state products enter only via licensed importers/wholesalers and out-of-state direct-to-consumer shipping is not authorized. Closed for GHD vendors without an MN license. (Recreational (21+) state dataset, version 2026-09-28)
Cited sources
- Minnesota Judge Blocks State's Direct-to-Consumer Ban on Low-THC Hemp Edibles (Cannabis Business Times)cannabisbusinesstimes.com (opens in a new tab) · 2026-02-13
“Nothing in the plain text of the statute requires licensees with the delivery endorsement to be the exclusive method by which LPHEs may be shipped or delivered to customers.”
Minnesota hemp law FAQ
Short answers drawn from the official Minnesota sources above (verified September 29, 2026). Not legal advice.
- Do I need a license to sell hemp products in Minnesota?
- Yes. Official link: OCM license types and fees (LPHE retailer, manufacturer, wholesaler) (mn.gov) — fee: Retailer $250 application + $250 initial/renewal per location (plus local registration up to $125); manufacturer $250 + $1,000; wholesaler $250 + $10,000. Growers license separately through the state hemp program or USDA.
- Who regulates hemp in Minnesota?
- Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) — Licenses lower-potency hemp edible (LPHE) retailers, manufacturers and wholesalers and all cannabis businesses; product testing/labeling rules (Minn. Stat. ch. 342; Minn. R. ch. 9810). Minnesota Department of Agriculture – Hemp Program — Licenses industrial hemp growers and processors (Minn. Stat. ch. 18K). Hemp-derived THC products run through the cannabis regulator: Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management.
- What are Minnesota's hemp laws in 2026?
- Minnesota licenses hemp-derived THC products as 'lower-potency hemp edibles' (LPHEs) under Minn. Stat. ch. Key law: Minn. Stat. §342.46 as amended by SF 2370 (2025) and 2026 Ch. 123; OAH order 24-4800-41292 (2026-02-12) (effective August 1, 2026).
- What is the minimum age to buy hemp products in Minnesota?
- 21+ under Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. §342.46 as amended by SF 2370 (2025) and 2026 Ch. 123; OAH order 24-4800-41292 (2026-02-12)). Good Hemp Distro is 21+ everywhere regardless.
- Does Minnesota cap THC in hemp products?
- Yes — 5 mg THC per serving · 50 mg per package under Minn. Stat. §342.46 as amended by SF 2370 (2025) and 2026 Ch. 123; OAH order 24-4800-41292 (2026-02-12). Federally, hemp must test at or below 0.3% total THC.
- Does Minnesota require lab testing (a COA) for hemp products?
- OCM hemp business guide – batch testing per Minn. R. ch. 9810 and OCM standards; results kept 5 years. Official page: mn.gov
- How do I start a compliant hemp business in Minnesota?
- 1. Register the business with the Minnesota Secretary of State and obtain a Minnesota tax ID (LPHEs are subject to the 10% cannabis gross receipts tax plus sales tax). 2. Growers/processors of raw hemp: apply for the MDA hemp license during the annual window (opens in November for the next season). 3. Manufacturers: apply for the OCM LPHE manufacturer license ($250 + $1,000) through the OCM licensing portal; test each batch at an OCM-approved lab and label per Minn. R. 9810. 4. Retailers: apply for the OCM LPHE retailer license ($250 + $250 per location) and register with the city/county (up to $125); add endorsements for delivery or on-site consumption if needed. 5. Wholesalers/distributors: obtain the LPHE wholesaler license ($250 + $10,000). 6. Stock only compliant products (max 5 mg THC/serving, 50 mg/package, 10 mg per beverage container), verify buyers are 21+, and keep testing records for 5 years.
Related
Not legal advice. Links and summaries verified September 29, 2026; laws change — always confirm with the official links and a licensed attorney before you sell.