Last verified: April 2026
The Signing
Governor Tim Walz signed HF 100 on May 30, 2023, making Minnesota the 23rd state to legalize recreational cannabis. The bill was authored by State Representative Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids) in the House and Senator Lindsey Port (DFL-Burnsville) in the Senate. The DFL-controlled legislature passed it on largely party-line votes; Republican opposition focused on public-health concerns and youth-access risks.
The Effective Date
HF 100 took effect on August 1, 2023. On that day:
- Adult possession (21+) of up to 2 oz of flower in public, 2 lb at home, 8 g concentrate, 800 mg THC edibles became legal.
- Home cultivation of up to 8 plants per household (max 4 in mature flowering) became legal.
- Gifting up to 2 oz to another adult (no money exchange) became legal.
- Automatic expungement of qualifying low-level marijuana convictions began.
- Red Lake Nation made the state’s first legal recreational cannabis sale at NativeCare.
Commercial sales required a regulatory infrastructure that didn’t yet exist; the first non-tribal state-licensed retail sale didn’t happen until September 16, 2025 — an 840-day gap.
The Statutory Framework
HF 100 created Minnesota Statutes Chapter 342 as the comprehensive legal framework governing cannabis in Minnesota. Key provisions:
- Minn. Stat. § 342.01: Definitions and findings
- Minn. Stat. § 342.09: Possession and use limits
- Minn. Stat. § 342.10 et seq.: Licensing categories (cultivator, manufacturer, retailer, mezzobusiness, microbusiness, transporter, etc.)
- Minn. Stat. § 342.50: Tribal-state compacts
- Minn. Stat. § 609A.055: Automatic expungement of qualifying records
- Minn. Stat. § 609A.06: Cannabis Expungement Board for felony review
The Rollout Timeline
HF 4757 — THC beverages legal
Minnesota legalizes hemp-derived THC edibles and beverages (up to 5 mg per serving / 50 mg per package). The accidental groundwork for a robust THC-beverage market that predates full legalization.
Gov. Walz signs HF 100
Minnesota becomes the 23rd state to legalize recreational cannabis. Adult-use possession, home cultivation, and gifting became legal effective August 1, 2023.
Possession legal — tribal sales begin
Adults 21+ may possess up to 2 oz public / 2 lb home / 8 g concentrate / 800 mg THC edibles. Same day: Red Lake Nation makes the state's first legal recreational cannabis sale at NativeCare in Red Lake.
White Earth opens Waabigwan Mashkiki
White Earth Nation opens "medicine flower" recreational sales in Mahnomen, two days after Red Lake.
Preapproval lottery canceled
OCM cancels the social-equity preapproval lottery after investigators uncover suspicious applications from straw applicants attempting to game the equity provisions.
Minn. Rules Chapter 9810 adopted
Administrative rules governing the industry are formally adopted, paving the way for state licensing.
White Earth signs first compact
White Earth Nation signs Minnesota's first tribal-state cannabis compact, allowing up to eight off-reservation dispensaries.
White Earth Moorhead opens
The state's first off-reservation tribal dispensary opens in Moorhead.
First state cannabis license
OCM issues the first state cannabis license — a microbusiness for outdoor cultivation in Pine County.
Eric Taubel made permanent OCM director
After two predecessors departed within 18 months, Walz makes Taubel (the OCM's first General Counsel) the permanent Executive Director.
First non-tribal retail sale
Green Goods opens at eight statewide locations including five in the Twin Cities metro — 840 days after HF 100 was signed, the 4th-slowest U.S. rollout.
RISE launches
RISE Dispensaries (Green Thumb Industries) launches adult-use sales at five locations including Brooklyn Park, Eagan, and New Hope.
Red Lake compact
Red Lake Nation signs off-reservation compact with the governor.
SMSC compact
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community signs its compact; an independent SMSC Cannabis Commission oversees operations.
NativeCare West St. Paul
Red Lake Nation's NativeCare opens at 2067 South Robert Street — tribal cannabis directly into the metro.
SMSC opens Flame & Flora Prior Lake
Shakopee Mdewakanton opens upscale "deli style" Flame & Flora across from Mystic Lake Casino — 25 miles southwest of Minneapolis, the closest tribal dispensary to the urban core.
The Office of Cannabis Management
HF 100 created the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), headquartered in St. Paul, as the sole state regulator. OCM issues licenses, enforces compliance, and manages the transition from Minnesota’s pre-existing medical cannabis program (which transferred from the Minnesota Department of Health to OCM on March 1, 2025).
OCM’s leadership history was rocky. First Director Erin Dupree resigned within one day of her appointment amid allegations she had sold illegal hemp products through a company called Loonacy Cannabis Co. Interim Director Charlene Briner built the office from scratch, hiring over 100 staff and overseeing the rulemaking process before stepping down in January 2025. Eric Taubel, who had served as OCM’s first General Counsel, took over and was made permanent in August 2025. See our OCM & the 840-Day Rollout page.
The 2024 and 2025 Amendments
HF 100 has been amended in subsequent legislative sessions:
- 2024 session: Various technical fixes, license-category clarifications, and the formal launch of the social-equity preapproval framework.
- 2025 session: The cannabis excise tax was raised from 10% to 15%. Tribal-compact authorization expanded. Various OCM operational provisions adjusted.
What HF 100 Does Not Do
- Public consumption. Restricted under Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act provisions and HF 100 itself.
- Federal protection. Cannabis remains Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act. Federal employees, military, and federal contractors remain fully exposed.
- Cross-border transport. Crossing into Wisconsin, Iowa, or the Dakotas with any amount remains a federal crime.
- DUI override. Minn. Stat. § 169A.20 still prohibits operating a motor vehicle while impaired. Officers must prove actual impairment via Drug Recognition Evaluators.
Worker Protections (DATWA Reset)
HF 100 amended Minnesota’s Drug and Alcohol Testing in the Workplace Act (DATWA, Minn. Stat. §§ 181.950–957) to remove cannabis from the statutory definition of "drug" — meaning pre-employment cannabis testing is now largely prohibited for most positions. The amended Lawful Consumable Products Act (Minn. Stat. § 181.938) additionally protects employees from discipline or termination for using cannabis off the employer’s premises during nonworking hours. See our Fortune 500 & DATWA Workplace Reset page.
For in-depth cannabis education, dosing guides, safety information, and research summaries, visit our partner site TryCannabis.org
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