Some Minnesota liquor stores plan to keep selling hemp THC drinks after the Dec. 11 federal deadline

Some Minnesota liquor stores say they plan to keep selling hemp-derived THC drinks after Dec. 11, when federal hemp restrictions are set to take effect, FOX 9 reported Oct. 14. The station reported that Minnesota hemp sellers say the approaching deadline is already hitting their bottom line and changing what stores keep on the shelf.

According to FOX 9, state law gives Minnesota retailers a path to keep THC products on shelves even if the federal change makes business harder. Jon Halper of Top Ten Liquors told the station the store plans to stay in the category on Dec. 12 but will have to adjust parts of its business model, and that if the products are not federally legal, the store will no longer be able to take credit cards. Halper said the store has three sections and a lot of cooler space dedicated to THC products.

FOX 9 also reported that at some liquor stores, especially national brands such as Total Wine, shelves are starting to show blank spaces where THC products would be.

Steven Brown, CEO of Nothing But Hemp/Canna, told FOX 9 that some small businesses have dropped off because of the uncertainty and that liquor stores are buying less product at a time. He said stores that once bought five or six cases might now buy one or two, and that some have dropped the category altogether. FOX 9 described Minnesota's hemp industry as a $200 million-a-year business. Brown has lobbied Congress to put guardrails on hemp while keeping it legal for people 21 and older, the station reported.

FOX 9 said it has not tallied how many Minnesota liquor stores plan to stay in the hemp category after Dec. 11, and that there is no guarantee Congress will act on the guardrails Brown has suggested.