Minnesota entrepreneur of color sees obstacles in marijuana industry – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

This story comes to you from MPR News through a partnership with Sahan Journal.

Many places you go these days, liquor stores, co-ops and even convenience stores, you see them: colorful cans of CBD and THC drinks, recently legal to sell and consume in Minnesota. 

And when happy hour comes around, I often finding myself reaching for one of them instead of a glass of wine. Unlike with alcohol, there’s no hangover, I sleep better and feel great in the morning after a couple of these.

When I heard that Plift hemp-infused beverages was a Black owned-and-operated company, I started asking for it by name. You can get it in stores around Minnesota as well as five other states, and soon to be in Wisconsin. 

Plift hemp-infused beverages come in a variety of fun flavors.  There’s juicy grapefruit and crisp ginger that taste a bit like natural soda. Guests at a recent dinner party reacted as they took their first sips.

“I don’t know what it is but I thought it was going to taste more like sparkling water, but it tastes more like pop,” said one guest.

Another guest had fun saying the name aloud and then gave his verdict: “It’s a pretty good beverage. I’d give it …”  He paused to take another taste. “A nine. It’s not bad. I don’t want to go too crazy with the rating. It’s good though. I like it!”

Plift also contains four milligrams of THC per can which offers a light buzz. This relatively small amount of…