Target picks Minnesota as first state to start selling THC drinks in stores
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Target has entered the cannabis market, soft-launching sales of THC-infused drinks at 11 stores in Minnesota.
The Minneapolis-based chain confirmed they are now selling low-potency, hemp-derived beverages at select liquor stores in the state. Target is carrying 11 brands including local hemp businesses like Surly Brewing, Trail Magic and Indeed Brewing.
“At Target, we’re always exploring new ways to meet our guests’ evolving preferences and needs. As part of that effort, we're testing a limited selection of THC beverages in a small number of Minnesota stores to better understand guest interest in this emerging category,” a Target spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
Last week, Trail Magic co-founder Jason Dayton shared a LinkedIn photo of his brand’s THC-infused iced tea and lemonade drinks at a Target liquor store.
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“This launch validates years of hard work by hundreds of people and brands across our industry who have led with safety, consumer education and a desire to meet the needs of a new generation,” he said in the photo post.
Minnesota is home to a thriving hemp product market that has created a wide range of edibles from gummies to drinks, starting after the state legalized the sale of food and drinks containing hemp-derived THC in 2022. The state is unique compared to most others in offering THC-infused drinks in bars and restaurants, according to local cannabis industry experts.
How that will change as the state’s recreational cannabis market takes off is unclear, but many are concerned that new product regulations in the coming months will negatively impact the hemp industry.
All hemp businesses must apply for a low-potency hemp edible license with the state’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) by Oct. 31, or they will forfeit their ability to continue selling or producing hemp products. The agency could not confirm whether Target has applied for a hemp license yet but said all 72 of Target’s stores in Minnesota are approved to sell low-potency hemp products.
New rules about packaging and testing of hemp-derived products in Minnesota go into effect in January, which many say will disrupt the supply chain for hemp and create backlogs in the startup of the recreational cannabis market. There are only two licensed testing facilities in Minnesota, and they recently confirmed with MPR News they will both struggle to meet high demands for cannabis and hemp testing if more facilities don’t get licensed soon.
It’s not clear which Target locations in Minnesota are now selling THC-infused beverages, but Target said the test is primarily in the Twin Cities area.
