Minnesota medical marijuana company suing state over THC regulations

(ABC 6 News) – Vireo Health, a Minnesota-based medical cannabis company, and one of two holders of medical cannabis licenses in the state, is claiming discrimination and suing the state over its THC regulations.

The company filed a civil lawsuit against the Minnesota Department of Health, the state and several county attorneys, saying Minnesota’s THC laws discriminate against Vireo.

The lawsuit is in response to recent amendments in Minnesota’s hemp law, that legalized the sale of hemp-derived THC-infused edibles and beverages, with certain restrictions.

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Vireo’s products are cannabis-derived instead of hemp-derived, therefore they are still only legally allowed to sell its products to patients with a qualifying condition through the state’s medical marijuana program.

The company claims the laws “unconstitutionally discriminate” against it, declaring hemp-derived edibles and medical cannabis-derived edibles “are chemically identical” and the additional restrictions cannabis-derived products face are “irrational.”

According to the company’s lawsuit, “the problem is that hemp-derived edibles that have recently been legalized in Minnesota do not have the same regulation, oversight, testing, and customer eligibility limitations as the medical cannabis-derived edibles sold by Vireo,” the company adds, “there are simply not enough regulatory or law enforcement resources available to ensure that hemp-based edibles being sold in Minnesota are legal and safe.”

Vireo is asking a court to immediately allow it to start selling its cannabis-derived products with the same rules as hemp-derived products.