Cannabis seeds growing new green industry in Minnesota

(ABC 6 News) – Cannabis seeds can legally be bought and sold in Minnesota after lawmakers passed legislation legalizing cannabis back in August.

On Friday morning in south Minneapolis, a cannabis industry mixer took place for new businesses trying to network in this green marketplace.

“Everyone’s trying to jump into it, there’s definitely a lot of competition,” said Leah Kollross, who runs the online cannabis seed store Natural Harvest, based out of Edina. “There’s a lot of interest in this space since it’s so fresh and new.”

Kollross said customers must be over 21 years of age to buy the cannabis seeds online.

Before opening her site, Kollross said seeds were sent out for testing that came from cannabis seed breeders.

“Once they pass, we are able to put our label on there, to prove what you are buying is going to produce a good quality plant,” Kollross said.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture said they are in the process of developing operating procedures for inspecting cannabis seed but haven’t started yet.

At the corner of 48th and Chicago in Minneapolis, you can find the new shop CannaJoyMN.

“It’s been a wild ride,” said Erin Walloch, the store’s co-founder, “It’s brought so much joy for us.”

Erin and her husband Bob decided to leave their jobs in the healthcare and education fields to open a store for the cannabis enthusiast.

“I think being able to really fit a niche that people need is what we did,” said Bob Walloch, operations manager and co-founder of CannaJoyMN.

Just the other day the couple said a customer drove from 2 hours away to buy cannabis seeds.

“The exciting part is to share and learn together — there’s a lot of nuisance, that’s why we thought an in-person store is easier for newer growers,” Bob Kollross said. “Just be able to be a spot for people to come ask questions, learn from each other, and build community together for this plant.”

MDA provides a guideline for stores that are selling cannabis seeds and for those labeling seeds for sale in the state, which also provides some guidance on what consumers should see as far as labeling.