JT Schuweiler
31
Partner
Fox Rothschild
When Minnesota legalized edibles containing hemp-derived THC on July 1, 2022, very few people saw it coming.
As a partner at Fox Rothschild’s Minneapolis office, JT Schuweiler was familiar with cannabis regulations in numerous markets and had represented some of the biggest players in the industry, including PharmaCann and Trulieve, but the overnight legalization of edibles in Minnesota was unique, bringing with it inherent risks and a lack of regulatory oversight.
“No one anticipated it, so helping people navigate it was a bit exciting,” Schuweiler told Marijuana Venture in a 2023 interview.
Schuweiler immediately got to work building a resource outlining where businesses could sell, manufacture and distribute in the new market.
Now, two years after the initial edibles boom in The Land of 10,000 Lakes, he is gearing up for the state’s adult-use market to open in 2025. Schuweiler is especially focused on helping emerging, diverse entrepreneurs find their footing in the new adult-use market.
“Bringing new voices to the table is one step towards building a resilient community and a better, more equitable place to live,” he says. “I believe strongly in the adage ‘We all do better when we all do better.’ That’s why I support developing a healthy business ecosystem that includes underrepresented entrepreneurs.”
Q&A
What was your reaction to the sudden legalization of edibles in MN and what was it like to help companies navigate through the sudden changes?
No one anticipated it, so helping people navigate it was a bit exciting. I was familiar with regulated regimes across the nation, but Minnesota’s legalization was not similar and had little regulatory oversight. So I focused on top-level questions that start us toward having the structure you get from a regulatory scheme. What are the best practices to follow? What should you be doing?
What would you say has been your biggest milestone in cannabis thus far?
Broadening my practice with my own clients in Minnesota and being a part, at the ground level, of helping a nascent industry grow and thrive. That meant taking what I had learned from a more national practice and translating it to a local market and local laws.
What would you like to change or add to the industry?
Broadening low dose cannabis accessibility. In some states, access to cannabis is only through a specific, isolated dispensary while in Minnesota it is available at the corner store. These are massive differences on a spectrum. As we learn more from the pioneer markets, we should develop common sense regulatory regimes in a happy medium, furthering the general acceptance of cannabis overall.