Target expands THC beverages statewide in Minnesota, regains shoppers' attention

The new assignment for Target store teams in Minnesota is not just stocking another beverage set. It is managing a 21-plus product line in liquor sections with separate entrances, where guests may need age checks, answers about hemp-derived THC limits, and clear direction on what can and cannot leave the shelf.

Target first tested hemp-derived THC beverages in 10 select Minnesota stores in October 2025. The company has now expanded that pilot statewide after getting 72 lower-potency hemp edible licenses from Minnesota regulators on April 1, 2026, one for each Target store in the state. Those licenses last a year, and they make Target the largest holder of such licenses in Minnesota.

The products fall under Minnesota rules that have allowed hemp-derived THC edibles and beverages since July 1, 2022. Under state law, the items can contain no more than 5 milligrams of THC per serving and 50 milligrams per package. For store leaders, that means the rollout is not a novelty aisle project. It is a compliance-heavy assortment that will sit alongside alcohol sales and demand consistent ID checks, careful merchandising and quick answers when shoppers ask why the drinks are locked behind 21-plus access.

Marijuana Moment reported that the chain's Minnesota move involves putting about a dozen THC drink brands on shelves in the 10 test stores, while a Target spokesman told Insurance Journal that the company was using the limited offering to better understand consumer interest in the category. That makes the operational stakes clearer for team members on the floor: guests will likely ask what the drinks do, why they are placed with liquor, and whether the products differ from cannabis sold through dispensaries.

Industry leaders read the expansion as a major step for a category that has struggled to get into national retail. Cann CEO Jake Bullock said the rollout marked an important milestone. Trail Magic co-founder Jason Dayton said Target's size and legal review process showed that regulation was working. Diana Eberlein, who leads the Coalition for Adult Beverage Alternatives, said Target's move normalizes the THC beverage category.

The timing matters for Target, too. The company reported second-quarter net sales of $25.2 billion in August 2025, down 0.9% from a year earlier, but said traffic and sales trends improved meaningfully from the first quarter. In March 2026, Target said it would open more than 30 new stores this year, including its 2,000th location, and invest $5 billion in capital spending. The THC beverage rollout adds another signal that Target is still using the store floor itself, not just digital fixes, to win back shopper attention.