Dispensary workers scramble to keep up with demand of weed seeds
MINNEAPOLIS – On Tuesday, a whole host of big changes surrounding marijuana laws went into effect in Minnesota. As of midnight, it is now legal for adults to possess and use recreational cannabis.
You must be 21 or older, 2 ounces of weed will be allowed in public, and you can have up to 2 pounds at home. At the same time, the state still needs time to set up the regulatory apparatus for overseeing the sale of recreational weed in the state. That is expected to take about a year to get up and running, and it's possible it won't be until 2025 before widespread sales actually ramp up.
RELATED: Recreational weed becomes legal in Minnesota on Aug. 1: What to know
For most, that means that their best option is to plant cannabis seeds. The law allows Minnesotans the ability to grow up to eight plants.
Cultivated CBD, like many others this week, is expanding its business and selling those sought-after seeds. The owner there, Anthony Newby, says they've "sold some version of 15,000 seeds in just a matter of hours." They've also had orders from more than 500 stores across the state.
"To be sitting here packing seeds, I've never seen this many seeds in my life and to keep it going has just been monumental," worker Shiah Sanders said.
As a former college athlete, Sanders says cannabis helps her body in recovery.
"I've seen such a great benefit for my health," she said.
RELATED: Seeds to grow weed available for sale starting Aug. 1, when recreational marijuana is legal
Newby has been selling CBD products for five years, but now he can grow his business with the new cannabis law in place.
"It's expanding the circle, it's expanding the network of consumers we can now be in relationship with, and more importantly, it's decriminalizing a plant that people have had rules and regulations that have really complicated people's lives for many many generations," he said.
One wrinkle about growing at home is that, while you're allowed to grow up to eight plants, only four of them are allowed to be fully mature.
The actual process of growing cannabis yourself is more complicated than you think, with specific soil, sunlight, and humidity. Newby hopes as a business owner and expert in this field, he can help his customers become home growers.
"Rather than written instructions, we're going to provide timely video education pieces and podcasts. We're going to do that through our network of stores, we're going to do that through our website," he said.
Meanwhile, one of the first places to sell recreational marijuana is the Red Lake Reservation. People lined up more than an hour before the tribal-owned dispensary opened Tuesday. They are among the first places to sell cannabis. Because of its sovereignty, Red Lake doesn't have to wait for state rules and regulations.
