PRESS RELEASE
Senator Scott Dibble & Senator Lindsey Port
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12, 2025
Contact: Skyler Vilt | [email protected] | 507-219-9940
Senator Scott Dibble and Senator Lindsey Port Blast Shutdown Deal That Devastates Minnesota’s Pioneering Hemp-Derived THC Drink Market
(ST. PAUL, MN) — A provision included in the deal to end the government shutdown will devastate and likely end Minnesota’s nation leading legal hemp-derived THC drink market. Since its legalization in 2022, the Minnesota industry has grown to include more than 5,000 licensed retailers with more than $200 million in annual revenue.
In response, Senator Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis) and Senator Lindsey Port (DFL-Burnsville), authors of the 2025 and 2023 cannabis legislation in Minnesota, respectively, are calling on Minnesota’s Congressional delegation to prevent this provision from being included in any final shutdown deal.
“This change is an existential threat to Minnesota’s nation-leading THC hemp drink industry and must be rejected. We’ve created a model that works — one that has empowered thousands of small business owners and entrepreneurs to build their dreams, hire local workers, and contribute to a thriving, responsible marketplace. Instead of learning from our success, Congress has inserted itself in the most heavy-handed and short-sighted way possible, at the behest of entrenched competitors in other industries who see Minnesota’s innovation as a threat. This will destroy legitimate businesses, eliminate good-paying jobs, and wipe out years of progress made by local entrepreneurs who played by the rules.
“Minnesota should not have its market rules written by Mitch McConnell or dictated by Washington lobbyists protecting their own interests. This is an inappropriate and reckless interference in a state’s right to regulate its own markets and industries responsibly. Consumers and business leaders in Minnesota who have built this market the right way deserve better. Congress must remove this language from the shutdown bill or work immediately to fix it before irreparable harm is done.”
###