Chris Tholkes, who has led Minnesota’s Office of Medical Cannabis since 2019, has resigned.
"Cannabis regulatory work is intense and after 5 years of working under a microscope and at a breakneck pace, the time is right for me to make a change,” she told the Star Tribune.
Minnesota’s Department of Health covers medical cannabis and the state’s market for hemp-based THC products.
The Health Department is responsible for making sure companies comply with the low-dose THC rules for edibles and beverages that use hemp.
Tholkes’ exit comes as Minnesota is still looking for someone to run its new adult-use recreational cannabis regulatory agency.
The state initially hired Erin Dupree to the top spot but she resigned shortly after due to reports that her business sold hemp-derived edibles with illegal amounts of THC.
