For decades, Minnesota Monthly has celebrated the people, places, flavors, and experiences that define life in the North Star State. From award-winning restaurants and craft breweries to emerging cultural trends, the magazine has long served as a trusted guide to what’s happening in Minnesota.
So why cannabis? The better question might be: Why not?
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As Minnesota’s cannabis landscape has evolved, so have the conversations surrounding it. What was once considered a fringe interest is increasingly becoming part of everyday lifestyle discussions, alongside food, wine/spirits, wellness, and entertainment.
“For Minnesota Monthly, embracing cannabis wasn’t about chasing a trend,” explains Tammy Galvin, president of Greenspring Media and publisher of Minnesota Monthly. “It was about recognizing a cultural shift and creating an opportunity for Minnesotans to explore it.”
That thinking inspired CannaFest, an event designed to bring cannabis culture into an approachable, welcoming, and distinctly social setting since 2023.
From the beginning, the goal was to bridge two audiences: established cannabis enthusiasts eager to discover new brands and products, and the growing number of “canna-curious” consumers interested in learning more but perhaps unsure where to begin.
“By combining education, product discovery, entertainment, and personal connections, CannaFest offers something that traditional retail experiences often cannot: an opportunity to engage directly with the people and businesses shaping Minnesota’s cannabis industry,” Galvin says.
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And this year’s event represents another milestone. For the first time and with its most expansive experience yet, attendees will be able to legally purchase adult-use cannabis flower and other products on-site and consume cannabis in a designated area on November 12 when CannaFest returns to The Lowlands in St. Paul. More than 50 participating brands, product sampling, and interactive experiences will round out the ticketed, 21+ evening.
It’s a meaningful evolution, notes Galvin, both for the event and for Minnesota’s emerging cannabis marketplace. Yet even as cannabis gains mainstream acceptance, the industry faces an uncertain future. Looming federal restrictions stemming from changes to the 2018 Farm Bill’s hemp provisions threaten Minnesota’s thriving low-potency, hemp-derived THC market—a $250 million-plus market that has played a pivotal role in introducing cannabis to mainstream consumers. It’s a reminder that while public perceptions are evolving, the regulatory landscape remains anything but settled.
But perhaps the bigger story is what CannaFest represents.
When an established lifestyle publication creates space for cannabis alongside the restaurants, destinations, and cultural experiences it has celebrated for generations, it sends a message: Cannabis is no longer a conversation happening on the sidelines. It has become part of the broader cultural landscape.
*This article was submitted by an unpaid guest contributor. The opinions or statements within do not necessarily reflect those of GreenState or HNP. The author is solely responsible for the content.