The False Economy of AI-Generated Legal Documents in Minnesota’s Cannabis Market
As Minnesota’s cannabis market develops, we’re starting to see a pattern developing alongside it: cannabis industry members using AI tools to draft and generate legal documents. A primary reason for this is the belief that documents of sufficient legal quality can be drafted at a fraction of the cost of an attorney. While in theory […]
Hellmuth & Johnson Attorneys Carol Moss and Steven Forrest Secure Successful Challenge to OCM Policy on Direct-to-Consumer Hemp Sales
Carol Moss and Steven Forrest are pleased to announce a successful petition against the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) concerning an unpromulgated rule that prohibited hemp businesses from selling lower-potency hemp edibles (LPHE) directly to consumers. In October 2025, OCM published an FAQ stating that hemp edible businesses could not sell or ship LPHE […]
Hellmuth & Johnson’s Carol Moss Discusses Minnesota Hemp Testing Crisis on Fox 9 News
Fox 9 News recently featured Hellmuth & Johnson attorney Carol Moss as a contributor in their coverage of Minnesota’s hemp industry challenges. New testing regulations requiring in-state lab certification are creating bottlenecks for over 6,000 cannabis and hemp businesses. With only three licensed labs, and just two capable of conducting all necessary tests, the industry […]
From Loophole to Legal Lockdown: The Hemp Industry at Risk
The hemp industry is facing what can only be described as a full-scale crisis: a complex, high-stakes tangle of regulation, litigation, and market uncertainty. For legal professionals, policymakers, and industry stakeholders, understanding how we arrived here and what lies ahead is critical. The irony is stark: the very law that legalized hemp is now being […]
Hellmuth & Johnson’s Carol Moss on NewsNation: Government Funding Bill Threatens Hemp Industry
On “The Hill on NewsNation,” Hellmuth & Johnson attorney Carol Moss contributed to a discussion about an 11th-hour provision in the government funding bill that could devastate the hemp industry. The measure would ban nearly all hemp-derived THC products—including popular drinks and edibles—that were legalized in the 2018 farm bill. While supporters claim it protects […]
Cannabis Businesses Facing Zoning Challenges
As cannabis businesses progress through the pre-approval licensing stage, the next major challenge is securing a compliant location. During the 2023 legislative session, prior to the legalization of cannabis zoning, local control remained the final unresolved issue. Local governments were not granted the authority to ban cannabis outright, but they could defer regulatory decisions to […]
Hellmuth & Johnson’s Carol Moss Comments on Minnesota Cannabis Rollout Challenges
AXIOS Twin Cities featured Cannabis Law attorney Carol Moss from Hellmuth & Johnson in their analysis of Minnesota’s recreational marijuana launch. The article examines the state’s behind-schedule cannabis rollout, recent licensing lotteries, and anticipated summer dispensary openings. Moss commented on the complex challenges facing new cannabis retailers, particularly the competitive dynamics between securing real estate […]
What the heck is going on with OCM and Social Equity Applications?
Things are a bit chaotic in Minnesota’s cannabis industry in regards to social equity applicants (“SEA”), so I want to provide some highlights of where things are today: Last month, approximately ten SEAs, whose applications were rejected by the Office of Cannabis Management’s (“OCM”) pre-approval process, filed lawsuits in district court, trying to get the […]
Court Pauses Office of Cannabis Management’s Lottery for Social Equity Applicants’ License Pre-Approvals
A Ramsey County District judge paused the social equity applicant pre-approval lottery set for tomorrow, November 25, 2024. How did we get here and what’s next? Judge Stephen L. Smith of Ramsey County District Court heard consolidated arguments for three lawsuits involving eight plaintiffs who were verified social equity applicants denied entry into the social […]
Reading the Office of Cannabis Management’s Tea Leaves about the Preapproval Cannabis License Lottery
We are now over a month and a half past the closing of the application window for social equity applicants to apply for pre-approval of cannabis licenses from Office of Cannabis Management. The burning question is: when will people know if their application was accepted into the lottery? We do not have exact dates like […]