Event Details

Presented by Jared Reams of Eckland & Blando LLP

North Star SHRM will be hosting a virtual seminar titled: High on Hemp: Understanding Legal Cannabis in Minnesota. This is a virtual presentation on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. All North Star SHRM members are invited to attend this free learning session.

Our presenter, Jared Reams, Esq., will discuss the following: With the 2018 federal “Farm Bill,” the 2022 Minnesota hemp laws, and now HF 100 under consideration by the Minnesota House of Representatives, Minnesota has developed a legal industry for recreational hemp-derived THC that may expand to full legalization of marijuana in the state. Along with the introduction of these now-legal cannabis products comes certain protections for off-the-clock use by employees.

Additionally, for employees subject to drug testing, test limitations and the body’s metabolization of THC create significant challenges to determining (1) whether a positive result was caused by a controlled or a legal cannabis substance; (2) when the substance causing a positive result was consumed; and (3) whether a positive result indicates intoxication at the time of testing.

This presentation will discuss employee protections regarding cannabis use in Minnesota and why employers should not rely on testing for THC or its metabolites as the sole basis for adverse action against an employee.

Learning objectives:
1. The differences between the terms “cannabis,” “marijuana,” and “hemp”
2. How state and federal laws regulate cannabis in Minnesota
3. The challenges associated with testing for marijuana use or THC intoxication
4. Key employee protections regarding cannabis use

As an attorney focused on representing businesses in the cannabis industry, Jared understands how highly dynamic, complex, and disparate federal and state laws regulating the use and sale of cannabis products in the United States have become. Whether your business sells marijuana or hemp products, cannabis derivatives like THC or CBD, or another related product or service, navigating these rules requires knowledge of local and national laws and how they interact with each other. Jared assists organizations in obtaining the required licenses, ensure operational and product-related compliance, fight for your business against improper enforcement of the law, and provide transactional support such as drafting and revising contracts that grant protection when deals do not go as expected.