SF1820 is the Senate version of the cannabis flavor ban. Introduced by Senator Carla Nelson, it would prohibit the Office of Cannabis Management from approving any added flavors in cannabis products intended for inhalation. If you have read about HF1844 in the House, this is the same concept working its way through the other chamber. Having companion bills in both chambers is how legislation typically advances in Minnesota - both versions need to pass before the idea can become law.

The bill draws a line between added flavoring ingredients and natural cannabis flavors. Manufacturers could not add strawberry flavoring to a vape cartridge, but a strain that naturally produces fruity terpenes would not be affected. The target is the kind of candy-flavored, dessert-flavored, and fruit-flavored products that public health advocates say are designed to appeal to young users. Senator Nelson has framed this as a preventive measure, arguing it is better to ban these products now than wait for a youth cannabis vaping crisis to develop.

The flavor ban debate in cannabis mirrors the one that played out with tobacco and nicotine vaping products over the past several years. After flavored JUUL pods helped create a teen vaping epidemic, states and the federal government moved to restrict flavored nicotine products. Proponents of SF1820 argue cannabis should learn from that experience. Opponents counter that the legal cannabis market already has age verification requirements and that banning products adults want simply drives them to unregulated sources.