Three Minnesota Cannabis Companies Face Lawsuit Over Edibles
Minnesota regulations mandate that edibles can contain no more than 5 mg of THC per serving or 50 mg per package. A complaint filed by the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy alleges that three medical cannabis companies disregarded the state’s rules on THC potency limits. The companies named in the complaint are Northland Vapor Company Moorhead, Northland Vapor Company Bemidji, and Wonky Confections. In the complaint, the three business entities are collectively called Northland Vapor. According to a release from the Board of Pharmacy regarding the issue, investigators found packages of cannabis edibles that contained 2,500 mg of THC, which is over 50 times the state’s legal limit.
Officials in Oregon Issue Recall for Cannabis Concentrate Products
Cannabis regulators in Oregon issued a recall for over 22,000 cannabis concentrate products. There is concern that the recalled products may be contaminated with pesticides. According to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC), the products were manufactured by two licensed companies in the state: Bobsled and Quantum Alchemy. The companies are reportedly cooperating with officials to identify and destroy potentially contaminated products. The products range from extracts such as resin to Rick Simpson oil and vape cartridges. It is estimated that approximately 13,600 potentially contaminated products were sold to consumers and 9,300 items were still on the market. Retailers in the state were notified about the recall and given specific instructions on how to destroy or return the recalled cannabis products.
Lawmakers in NJ Approve Cannabis Banking Protections Bill
An Assembly committee in New Jersey approved legislation to provide state-level protection for financial institutions that choose to work with licensed cannabis businesses. The bill, which was from Assemblymember Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, passed nearly unanimously in the Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee. Despite strong support, a few committee members expressed concern that the legislation might give banks and insurers a false sense of security as it does not provide immunity to financial institutions from federal prosecution. But, the bill does make it unlawful for any state agency to penalize any financial institution or insurer for working with state-legal cannabis businesses. While this measure is certainly a step forward in providing needed banking services to cannabis companies, many banks remain reluctant to work with these businesses out of fear of federal prosecution.
