Wintry mix spreads across Minnesota

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A bill to require testing of cannabis products before they make it into Minnesota’s recreational marijuana retail market is due for a hearing at the Legislature Tuesday afternoon. 

It's one of the ongoing efforts to regulate the emerging cannabis industry in the state, which has had a bumpy rollout since recreational marijuana was legalized in 2023. Right now, there are just two testing facilities in Minnesota. 

State Sen. Lindsey Port, DFL-Burnsville, is carrying 

, which also extends a testing provision for hemp-derived THC products. She joined Cathy Wurzer on Morning Edition to share more about its intent. 

“Those first rounds of new cannabis products, new producers, growers, cultivators are getting on their feet for the first time,” Port said, “The backlog is in testing right now, but I think we’re going to see, within the next few months, really a growing, blossoming array of products available around the state.” 

Listen to the conversation by clicking the player button above.

Correction (Feb. 24, 2026): An earlier version of this story misspelled Lindsey Port’s first name.

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“The backlog is in testing right now, but I think we're going to see, within the next few months, really a growing, blossoming array of products available around the state,” DFL state Sen. Lindsey Port told MPR News.

Sen. Port carries cannabis testing bill as slow rollout of Minnesota marijuana continues

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