Northern Lights

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! Join us for Tanner’s Terp Tasting (with our good friend Will of Uniflora Holistics) as we sample Tahitian Dream from The Limit (MI). Total Score: 7.5/10 Toke'ns 👍 Don't forget to hit like, share, and subscribe for more content like this. Drop a comment to let us know if you've tried these terps! 📌 Disclaimer: Plea...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! Catch the team LIVE at the Lucky Leaf Expo on Friday, February 28th. Listen as we chat with industry pros, play Strain Name Word Salad, and give our praised to The Girl Scouts of America. Get your Limited Edition MNCC x Grove Bag Today! For Yourself - https://mncannabiscollege.org/product/grovebag/ For Your Shop - https://mncannab...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! Applications open, OCM grant money becomes available, and rule making moves to the next step!  Then, listen as Marcus sits down with Dr. Clemon Dabney to discuss his background and future in the cannabis industry. Finally, it’s time for another high note!  Get your Limited Edition MNCC x Grove Bag Today! For Yourself - https://mnc...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! With the state’s Office of Cannabis Management set to launch its licensing process, Steve and Tanner break down key dates, what businesses need to know, and when we might see the first licensed dispensaries open. Meanwhile, Moorhead is preparing to open Minnesota’s first off-reservation cannabis shop, and NPR takes a deep dive int...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! Join us for Tanner’s Terp Tasting (with Cayle of the Dabbler Depot) as we sample Blockberry from Union Terps. Total Score: 6.5/10 Toke'ns 👍 Don't forget to hit like, share, and subscribe for more content like this. Drop a comment to let us know if you've tried these terps! 📌 Disclaimer: Please remember that cannab...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! Tanner, John, and Jordan return to the Dabbler Depot Studio for Episode 18 of Northern Lights , diving headfirst into Minnesota’s cannabis landscape as the industry edges closer to the long-awaited licensing window. With applications opening in less than two weeks, we break down what prospective business owners need to know, inclu...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! Join us for Tanner’s Terp Tasting (with Cayle of the Dabbler Depot) as we sample Melon Farmer from SoTokes. Total Score: 7/10 Toke'ns 👍 Don't forget to hit like, share, and subscribe for more content like this. Drop a comment to let us know if you've tried these terps! 📌 Disclaimer: Please remember that cannabis p...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! It's the final episode of the first month of 2025, and what a year it's been! Jordan, Steve, and Tanner kick things off with the latest news, diving into highlights from the 2025 OCM Annual Report, the public's reactions to proposed rule changes, and the ongoing legal battles over the state’s canceled preapproval lo...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! Join us for Tanner’s Terp Tasting (with Cayle of the Dabbler Depot and Kelly!) as we sample Meyer Hashsky from Back Forty Farms x Circle Source. Total Score: 9/10 Toke'ns 👍 Don't forget to hit like, share, and subscribe for more content like this. Drop a comment to let us know if you've tried these terps! 📌 Discla...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! It's cold outside, but Tanner, Steve, and Jordan are fired up in the Dabbler Depot studio for another episode of Northern Lights! First, join us for a game we're calling Word Salad Strain Name! With a mix of random words, we craft outrageous cannabis strain names like “Caribou Cookies” and imagine their flavor, aroma, an...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! Join us for Tanner’s Terp Tasting (with Cayle of the Dabbler Depot) as we sample Gaseous Mentalitiez from Ope! Solventless. Total Score: 8/10 Toke'ns 👍 Don't forget to hit like, share, and subscribe for more content like this. Drop a comment to let us know if you've tried these terps! 📌 Disclaimer: Please remember...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! When it rains cannabis news in Minnesota, it’s a freaking snowstorm! Tanner and Marcus dive headfirst into a whirlwind of updates shaping the state’s cannabis landscape. With leadership shake-ups at OCM and a fast-tracked rulemaking process that has disappointed many in the community, the year is already off to a wild start. But i...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! Join us for Tanner’s Terp Tasting (with Cayle of the Dabbler Depot) as we sample Green Machine Farm's BOP from Farmhouse Studios. Total Score: 6.5/10 Toke'ns 👍 Don't forget to hit like, share, and subscribe for more content like this. Drop a comment to let us know if you've tried these terps! 📌 Disclaimer: Pl...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! Please Note: This episode was recorded before news broke that Charlene Briner will step down as interim director of OCM on Jan 17th to be replaced by OCM's General Counsel Eric Taubel. Check back next week for our full take! Tanner and John kick off 2025 with an in-depth look at Minnesota’s cannabis landscape. As the legislat...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! In this special holiday bonus episode, the Northern Lights Podcast team wraps up 2024 by reflecting on the year’s biggest "High Notes." Join Tanner, Stephen, Jordan, and listeners from the Northern Lights Holiday Party as they share personal and cannabis-related highlights from the past year, explore trends to watch in 2...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! The OCM sidesteps the District Court and moves forward with licensing, Vireo and UFCW 1189 strike a deal to prevent a strike, and Detroit Lakes and Ely weigh their approach to cannabis regulation — all this and more on this week's Northern Lights. Then, Steve, Tanner, and Jordan celebrate Super Boof, Leafly's 2024 Strain...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! Recorded on Thursday, Dec. 12, 10 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Meeting Held at Stassen Building; Room 2000 (Skjegstad Conference Room); 600 N. Robert St., St. Paul, MN, 55146 Agenda: Call to Order Approve Meeting Minutes from August 22, 2024 General Counsel Update: Eric Taubel Approve Conflict of Interest and Disclosure Resolution Chair Rema...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! Today, the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced its next actions to launch Minnesota’s cannabis industry following a Ramsey County District Court judge’s decision to stay the cannabis license preapproval lottery originally scheduled for Nov. 26.  To avoid further delay and risks to social equity, OCM is ending the license...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! Medical cannabis rejections, DEA drama, and clemency calls—this week on Northern Lights, Steve and Tanner break down all the key headlines. Next, it’s a terp-filled dab buffet with Sam Milstein of Milstagrams THC Distribution as we explore the unique flavors and aromas found across Minnesota's cannabis scene. It’s a new month...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! In this bonus episode of Northern Lights , we dive into the recent decision by the District Court to stay the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management’s (OCM) Social Equity Preapproval Lottery. This ruling has sent ripples through Minnesota’s cannabis community, sparking debates about fairness, preparedness, and the future of this...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! It’s been a week in the Minnesota cannabis world, and Steve and Tanner are here to break it all down. The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) scheduled the first round of its Social Equity Preapproval Lottery… and then the District Court stepped in with a stay, temporarily halting the process. Next step, Minnesota Court of Appeals...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! What Happened: The Office of Cannabis Management sent notices to applicants Monday evening notifying them if their preapproval applications were denied. Reporting from MinnPost indicates that more than two-thirds of applicants were rejected for various reasons—some factual and others appearing to be technical issues that should ha...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! In this episode of Northern Lights , Steve and Tanner dive into the latest developments shaking up the cannabis world. First, they dissect the Office of Cannabis Management's recent legal action against Zaza in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Then, they unpack fresh Gallup poll data revealing that cannabis has officially outpaced t...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) hosted a virtual informational listening session on the CanRenew and CanGrow grants, the two programs implemented and overseen by the Division of Social Equity. CanRenew will award grants to eligible organizations for investments in communities where long-term residents are eligibl...

Comment, question, or idea for the podcast? Send us a Text Message! In this episode, Marcus, John, and Tanner explore the evolving landscape of cannabis policy in Minnesota and across the U.S. as recent elections bring new challenges and opportunities. With Minnesota’s now-divided Legislature, cannabis reform faces added hurdles. We’ll discuss how this shift could slow progress on tax adjustments,...