Target Expands Involvement In Hemp THC Drinks Market With 72 New Licenses In Minnesota

Major retailer Target is expanding its participation in the hemp-derived THC beverage market, even as a federal law is set to ban the products later this year.

Last year, the company began a pilot program involving sales of cannabis drinks at 10 select stores in Minnesota. That apparently went well, and now the company has obtained licenses from Minnesota regulators to sell lower-potency hemp edible products—including THC drinks—at all 72 of its stores in the state.

According to a review of Office of Cannabis Management data, Target, which is headquartered in Minnesota, now holds more lower-potency hemp edible licenses in the state than any other company.

The new licenses were obtained on April 1 and will last for a year.

The move comes months after Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed legislation that will recriminalize hemp-derived products containing more than 0.4 milligrams of THC per container.

Bipartisan lawmakers in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have pushed for a delay in the scheduled ban, which is set to take effect in November, but those efforts have not gained traction with congressional leadership.

Under Minnesota law, holders of lower-potency hemp edible licenses can sell products containing up to 5 milligrams of THC per serving, with a maximum of 50 milligrams of THC per package. Beverages can have a maximum of up to 10 milligrams of THC per container.

THC drink brands that were included in Target’s initial launch included Birdie, Cann, Find Wunder, Gigli, Hi Seltzer, Indeed, Señorita, Stigma, Surly, Trail Magic, Wyld and Wynk.

It’s not clear whether Target’s involvement in the hemp market at a greater number of its stores with the new licenses will stay focused on the beverage category or if it will involve other kinds of products, and representatives for the company did not immediately respond to Marijuana Moment’s request for comment.

A poll from the cannabis telehealth platform NuggMD last year found that marijuana consumers were encouraged by Target’s decision to start selling THC beverages—with a majority saying the marketing move makes them more likely to shop at the retail giant’s stores.

Respondents were asked: “Does knowing this make you more likely to shop at Target in the future?”

A total of 50.5 percent said they would be more likely—though that notably includes 34.4 percent who said they’d only be more inclined to patronize Target if their local store carried the THC beverages. Another 16.1 percent said “yes” because they “want to support the retailer more now regardless of which locations sell the products.”

About half of respondents (49.5 percent) said Target’s embrace of a THC drink pilot program wouldn’t affect where they shop.

Here’s a full list of Target’s new hemp licenses in Minnesota:

License Number	License Type	Legal Business Name	Retail Site Address	License Issued	License Expiration
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	1001 S 13th Street, Virginia, MN 55792	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	111 Pioneer Trail, Chaska, MN 55318	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	11990 N Business Park Boulevard, Champlin, MN 55316	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	125 SE Lincoln Avenue, Saint Cloud, MN 56304	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	1300 NE MN-55 Highway, Buffalo, MN 55313	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	1300 W University Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55104	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	13201 Ridgedale Drive, Minnetonka, MN 55305	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	1329 SE 5th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55414	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	1370 S MN-15, Hutchinson, MN 55350	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	14333 MN-13, Savage, MN 55378	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	1447 E 7th Street, Monticello, MN 55362	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	14546 N Dellwood Drive, Baxter, MN 56425	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	1500 NE 109th Avenue, Blaine, MN 55449	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	151 Tyler Road, Red Wing, MN 55066	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	1515 W County Road B, Roseville, MN 55113	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	15150 Cedar Avenue, Apple Valley, MN 55124	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	15300 N Grove Circle, Maple Grove, MN 55369	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	15560 Pilot Knob Road, Apple Valley, MN 55124	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	15800 NE 87th Street, Otsego, MN 55330	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	1650 New Brighton Boulevard, Minneapolis, MN 55413	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	1685 E 17th Avenue, Shakopee, MN 55379	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	1744 Suburban Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55106	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	1750 S Robert Street, West St. Paul, MN 55117	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	18275 Kenrick Avenue, Lakeville, MN 55044	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	1850 Adams Street, Mankato, MN 56001	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	1902 Miller Trunk Highway, Duluth, MN 55811	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	2000 Cliff Lake Road, Eagan, MN 55122	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	2000 NW Bunker Lake Boulevard, Andover, MN 55304	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	2021 Market Drive, Stillwater, MN 55082	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	2080 Ford Parkway, Saint Paul, MN 55116	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	2100 NW Paul Bunyan Drive, Bemidji, MN 56601	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	215 N Balsam Street, Cambridge, MN 55008	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	21615 S Diamond Lake Road, Rogers, MN 55374	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	2199 E MN-36, North Saint Paul, MN 55109	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	2323 S MN-3, Northfield, MN 55057	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	2410 S Pokegama Avenue, Grand Rapids, MN 55744	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	2500 E Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN 55406	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	2505 S 1st Street Willmar, MN 56201	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	2555 W 79th Street, Bloomington, MN 55431	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	300 Clydesdale Trail, Medina, MN 55340	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	301 Park Drive, Owatonna, MN 55060	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	3300 NW 124th Avenue, Coon Rapids, MN 55433	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	3301 E US-10 Highway, Moorhead, MN 56560	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	356 SW 12th Street, Forest Lake, MN 55025	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	3601 MN-100, Minneapolis, MN 55416	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	3800 N Lexington Avenue, Shoreview, MN 55126	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	3827 NW Marketplace Drive, Rochester, MN 55901	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	4175 N Vinewood Lane, Plymouth, MN 55442	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	4201 W Division Street, Saint Cloud, MN 56301	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	4404 S MN-29 Highway, Alexandria, MN 56308	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	449 Commerce Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	4611 SE Maine Avenue, Rochester, MN 55904	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	4848 County Road 101, Minnetonka, MN 55345	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	5537 W Broadway Avenue, Crystal, MN 55428	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	6445 Richfield Parkway, Richfield, MN 55423	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	7000 S York Avenue, Edina, MN 55435	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	7200 Valley Creek Plaza, Woodbury, MN 55125	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	749 Apollo Drive, Lino Lakes, MN 55014	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	7535 W Broadway Avenue, Brooklyn Park, MN 55428	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	755 NE 53rd Avenue, Fridley, MN 55421	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	7841 Amana Trail, Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	7900 N 32nd Street, Oakdale, MN 55128	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	810 W County Road 42, Burnsville, MN 55337	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	8225 Flying Cloud Drive, Eden Prairie, MN 55344	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	851 W 78th Street, Chanhassen, MN 55317	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	860 Mankato Avenue, Winona, MN 55987	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	8600 NW Springbrook Drive, Coon Rapids, MN 55433	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	8655 E Point Douglas Road S, Cottage Grove, MN 55016	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	875 E Main Street, Waconia, MN 55387	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	8900 MN-7, St. Louis Park, MN 55426	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	900 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55403	4/1/2026	4/1/2027
LPDIS-L25-000423	LPHE Retailer	Target Corporation	975 County Road E, Vadnais Heights, MN 55127	4/1/2026	4/1/2027

Target’s new license expansion was first reported by Brewbound.

In Minnesota in particular, hemp beverages have been a mainstay even before the state moved to legalize marijuana for adult use.

Gov. Tim Walz (D) signed legislation in 2022 making it so all hemp-derived cannabinoids including CBD could be legally sold in food items, beverages, topicals and more—as long as the products contain less than the federal limit of 0.3 percent THC. Edible and beverage products are limited to a total of 5 mg THC per serving and 50 mg per package.

About a year later, former Minnesota House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (DFL), who championed the state’s legalization law over multiple sessions, announced plans to launch his own hemp beverage company.

The mainstreaming of cannabis beverages comes as recent poll shows that a majority of Americans believe marijuana represents a “healthier option” than alcohol—and that most also expect cannabis to be legal in all 50 states within the next five years.

Another survey found that four in five adults who drink cannabis-infused beverages say they’ve reduced their alcohol intake—and more than a fifth have quit drinking alcohol altogether.

Target isn’t alone in joining the cannabis train as state laws continue to evolve.

Home Depot, one of the largest employers in the United States, last year shifted its employee drug testing policies to remove cannabis from screening panels entirely and stop pre-employment drug testing of most of its workers, according to a document obtained by Marijuana Moment.

In 2022, Amazon, the second largest private employer in the U.S., also backed a Republican-led bill to federally legalize, tax and regulate marijuana. It previously expressed support for a separate, Democratic-led legalization bill. Amazon has also worked to adapt to changing marijuana policies internally as it’s backed congressional reform, enacting an employment policy change in 2021 to end drug testing for cannabis for most workers, for example.

Meanwhile, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) of the United States recently entered a first-of-its-kind partnership with a hemp THC beverage company, with a licensing branding deal that will support a variety of veterans services and promote cannabis drinks as a potential alcohol alternative with the drinks being available at VFW posts across the country.

Separately, while Target is apparently moving into the THC drink space, the airline Virgin Atlantic denied satirical and false claims earlier this year from a cannabis beverage company about a deal to sell its THC-infused beverages on flights.

Marijuana Sales Are Rising And Alcohol Is On The Decline As Consumer Preferences Evolve, Government Data In Canada Shows

Marijuana sales are increasing as purchases of alcohol are declining, according to a new federal report from the Canadian government.

Retailers in the country sold C$5.5 billion worth of legal recreational cannabis products in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, Statistics Canada reported, representing a 6.1 percent increase from the previous annual period.

Meanwhile, alcohol purchases were down 1.6 percent year over year, a dip that occurred despite a 1.6 increase in retail alcohol prices. The resulting decline in government revenue “was the largest annual decrease since Statistics Canada began tracking this series in 2004/2005,” the federal agency said.

While the C$25.8 billion worth of alcoholic beverages sold in the fiscal year still outpaces marijuana’s total, the two data points represent a trend where consumers are switching away from beer, wine and liquor toward cannabis, which is increasingly viewed as a safer alternative.

Even as marijuana sales in Canada increased in the last fiscal year, growth slowed, however, from the 11.6 percent increase in 2023-2024 and the 15.8 percent bump from 2022-2023. Still, the overall rise in cannabis purchase totals came even as prices dropped 1.1 percent over the last year.

New data on the control and sale of alcoholic beverages and cannabis in Canada are now available for the period of April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025: https://t.co/EQgVJ7Cdx6pic.twitter.com/2MaSY1DWjG

— Statistics Canada (@StatCan_eng) March 5, 2026

Within the cannabis sector, inhaled extracts were the fastest growing product category in the most recent year, the government report, which was noted earlier by ICBC, said.

“The market share of inhaled extracts continued to increase in 2024/2025, up to almost one-third of total sales (31.1%),” it said. “Solid cannabis edibles (-2.2%) was the lone cannabis category with a sales decline in 2024/2025.”

Overall, cannabis sales during the fiscal year were equivalent to C$167 per person of legal age to consume marijuana.

A separate recent study funded by the Canadian government found that alcohol and tobacco cause far more harms to people who consume them, and to society overall, than marijuana does.

The findings about relative harms of different substances may help explain why alcohol consumption has been gradually declining over recent years, and why multiple surveys and studies have indicated that more adults are opting for marijuana.

For example, recent polling shows that younger Americans are increasingly using cannabis-infused beverages as a substitute for alcohol—with one in three millennials and Gen Z workers choosing THC drinks over booze for after-work activities like happy hours.

Another survey released last October found that a majority of Americans believe marijuana represents a “healthier option” than alcohol. And most also expect cannabis to be legal in all 50 states within the next five years.

Smoking marijuana is also associated with “significantly” reduced rates of alcohol consumption, according to a recent federally funded study that involved adults smoking joints in a makeshift bar.

A study published in 2024 that looked at adults who drink cannabis-infused beverages found more evidence of a “substitution effect,” with a significant majority of participants reporting reduced alcohol use after incorporating cannabinoid drinks into their routines.

Meanwhile, as the Trump administration considers moving marijuana out of Schedule I, the most restrictive category under U.S. federal law, another recent study concluded that cannabis isn’t as dangerous as its current classification would suggest.

Feds Deny Snoop Dogg Request To Trademark ‘Smoke Weed Everyday’ Because Marijuana Is Illegal And Song Lyric Is Too Popular

Snoop Dogg’s signature catchphrase “Smoke Weed Everyday” cannot be trademarked by the artist because marijuana remains federally illegal and the slogan has become too popular in mainstream culture, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) says.

Dr. ETC Holdco, LLC—an entity affiliated with Snoop that owns his intellectual property portfolio—submitted a trademark application for the phrase in 2024. Then, nearly two years later, it received a denial letter from USPTO on Tuesday.

The federal agency, which falls under the U.S. Department of Commerce, gave two main reasons for the rejection: 1) Goods and services marketed under a trademark must comply with federal law, and “the application includes items or activities that involve a per se violation” of federal law, and 2) the phrase comes from a “song lyric commonly used in association with cannabis use,” making it too popular to exclusively trademark.

“To qualify for a federal registration, the use of a mark in commerce must be lawful under federal law in the sense that the commerce recited in the application complies with applicable federal laws that regulate the identified goods and/or services,” USPTO said. “If the goods or services with which a mark is intended to be used are prohibited by law, the applicant can neither use its mark in lawful commerce nor have the requisite bona fide intent to use the mark in lawful commerce. ”

The letter also explains how certain hemp-related terms and phrases could potentially be eligible for trademark registrations unlike those linked to marijuana because hemp and its derivatives were federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill. However, because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has declined to enact rules allowing for the lawful marketing of cannabinoids like CBD as a food items or dietary supplements, USTPO said it would similar deny trademark applications for those products.

The agency’s denial letter additionally said the registration was refused “because the applied-for mark is a slogan or term that does not function as a trademark or service mark to indicate the source of applicant’s goods and/or services and to identify and distinguish them from others.”

“In this case, the applied-for mark is an informational social, political, religious, or similar kind of message that merely conveys support of, admiration for, or affiliation with the ideals conveyed by the message,” it said. “Terms and phrases that merely convey an informational message are not registrable.”

To support its case, USTPO provided examples of the phrase “Smoke Weed Everyday” appearing on various products sold by retailers such as Amazon, Weed Dreams and Red Bubble.

“Because consumers are accustomed to seeing this term or phrase used in ordinary language by many different sources, they would not perceive it as a mark identifying the source of applicant’s goods and/or services but rather as only conveying an informational message,” it said.

Josh Gerben, an attorney and co-founder of Gerben IP, said in a blog post about the USTPO denial that Snoop’s company may appeal the decision, but “the most difficult” challenge the case presents “is the federal legality issue tied to cannabis sales.”

“The application identifies retail services involving cannabis products,” he said. “Under current Federal Law, marijuana remains illegal, and the USPTO routinely refuses applications tied to federally unlawful goods or services.”

“Taken together, the refusals create a steep uphill battle,” Gerben said. “Fortunately for Snoop Dogg, this refusal affects only the trademark registration…not the activity the phrase famously celebrates.”

Meanwhile, Snoop has been gradually expanding his cannabis enterprise over recent years. For example, last year, he brought another direct-to-consumer hemp lifestyle platform to market under his Death Row Records label.

In 2024, the artist also expanded his Smoke Weed Every Day (S.W.E.D.) brand with a separate direct-to-consumer retail platform selling hemp-derived cannabinoid products, smoking supplies and other merchandise.

That platform also acts as a directory for S.W.E.D.’s physical retail marijuana locations, including a Los Angeles dispensary and a coffeeshop in Amsterdam, both of which were announced in 2024.

Snoop, who’s referenced marijuana in songs and other performances for decades, has remained a cultural in the cannabis community as the drug has grown more mainstream. Today he regularly talks about his relationship with marijuana in interviews and TV appearances.

In an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in 2024, Snoop confirmed that his entourage includes a staffer tasked with making sure people he smokes with don’t get too high, telling them “that’s enough” when they’ve reached their limit.

It’s unclear if the person is the same Snoop disclosed paying upwards of $50,000 a year to roll blunts for him. Snoop estimated in 2019 that he consumes 81 blunts per day.

In 2024, meanwhile, the artist took on a new role as a guest meteorologist on the TODAY Show, taking viewers through a personalized marijuana-themed weather map featuring cities from Weed, California and Tokeland, Washington to High Point, North Carolina and Pottsville, Pennsylvania.

Late night host Jimmy Kimmel recognized Snoop’s cannabis legacy in 2023 when he declared the artist’s birthday, October 20, the “new high holiday” of DoggFather’s Day.

While he might be best known as a prolific consumer, Snoop has also advocated for reform, which includes calling for a policy change at the NBA so that players could freely use cannabis off the court.

He said that he supported the reform based on the “medical side of it, the health benefits and how it could actually help ease the opioids and all the pills that they’ve been given and the injections.”

Snoop has long been pushing athletics organizations to adopt lenient marijuana policies, often emphasizing that point that cannabis could serve as a less addictive and dangerous alternative to prescription opioids.

The artist had previously launched another marijuana brand, called Leafs By Snoop, in Colorado in 2015.

Image element courtesy of TechCrunch.