Minnesota quietly marked an important milestone last week on its long and fraught journey toward launching a adult-use marijuana market: the first legal sale of cannabis flower grown by a new state-licensed cultivator.
But that Feb. 12 sale was preceded by a seven-week wait while the product was tested for potency and contaminants such as mold, bacteria and pesticides by St. Paul-based Legend Technical Services. The site is one of only two fully operational state-licensed testing facilities.
Two-and-a-half years after Minnesota legalized adult-use cannabis, dozens of new marijuana businesses are opening. That means potentially thousands of new smokable, vape-able and edible products will need to be tested for safety by a licensed Minnesota lab before they can be sold to consumers. Cannabis business owners say lengthy testing delays have created a new obstacle to getting marijuana onto store shelves.
Roseville's Frostbite Dispensary was the retailer that made the Feb. 12 sale. Jacob Affeldt, who owns the business with his wife, Abigail, said it's "a constant battle" to find product that has been tested and is ready for market.
Read more at The Minnesota Star Tribune
