Minneapolis, MN
Hi Flora! to close in Minneapolis not long after receiving $7,500 fine over alleged violations
MINNEAPOLIS — Hi Flora!, one of the early innovators in Minnesota’s budding cannabis industry, is closing up shop in early December. They opened in Minneapolis about a year and a half ago.
“It has really good energy in here. We’re welcoming and people love to come here, so it’s sad,” owner Heather Klein said.
Hi Flora! serves plant-based food and offered low-dose THC tinctures people could add to their food or drinks or take home. They also sell THC beverages in their store.
Klein, who has been sober since 2017, said she wanted to create a fun non-alcoholic bar. She said the financial struggles started in August 2023, when the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) said a customer experienced a “serious adverse health event” after consuming a product.
“The paramedics said it was a little anxiety. By the time the paramedics got here, she was fine,” she said.
Klein said they try to inform and educate customers about their products before they are consumed, and that the incident in August was rare. The OCM inspected the business following the incident, which led to alleged violations including selling products exceeding the legal amount of THC and allowing on-site consumption without an alcohol license.
Klein said the product they found to be over the legal limit was a concentrated ingredient used to create the lower-dose products.
“It wasn’t being sold, and there was no label on it because it wasn’t being sold,” she said.
Due to a 2017 alcohol charge, Klein said she can’t obtain a permanent liquor license for on-site consumption of low-dose hemp, even though her business is alcohol-free.
“That was my whole concept, so there’s not much we can do,” she said.
Klein said she was fined $7,500 for the violations. After she stopped selling the tinctures, she said sales dropped 50%.
“I had meetings with the head of the health department in here, and they approved everything I was doing,” she said.
But once the OCM took over in August, she said things were too difficult.
“There’s no clear guidelines. They seem to changing weekly, daily sometimes,” she said.
While this chapter is ending, Klein said she’s hoping to reopen in some capacity, in another smaller space.
Minneapolis, MN
MSP Airport food service workers reach tentative deal, avert Thanksgiving week strike
More than 200 food service workers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport say they’ve reached a tentative agreement with their employer, averting a strike.
The food service workers, represented by UNITE HERE Local 17, said their contract with HMSHost had expired last December. Both parties had been negotiating for a new one for 11 months.
On Monday, workers said they would go on strike three days before Thanksgiving if they didn’t reach a deal. A no-strike clause with HMSHost had expired in May.
Friday, the union announced that they had reached a tentative agreement with HMSHost, calling it “historic.”
The agreement includes the highest wage increases they’ve seen at the airport, according to the union. Workers were also fighting for lower health insurance costs and better paid time off wages for workers who receive tips.
AAA said about 6.1 million Americans are planning to fly during the week of Thanksgiving, which is 2% more than last year.
WCCO has reached out to HMSHost for comment.
File photo of MSP airport. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) is bracing for a busy Thanksgiving holiday travel period lasting through early December.
Holiday travel at MSP
Local perspective:
MSP is preparing for a busy travel period, with more than 441,000 people expected to pass through security checkpoints over 12 days. Wednesday, Nov. 26, and Sunday, Nov. 30, are projected to be the busiest days, with an estimated 47,000 to 49,000 people walking through the doors each day.
“We will see passenger activity pick up a week out from Thanksgiving as many get a jump-start on their holiday travels,” explained Brian Ryks, CEO of the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which owns and operates MSP.
Travelers using the airport between Nov. 20 and Dec. 1 should prepare for busy roadways and terminals due to an increased number of drivers picking up and dropping off passengers for the holidays, the airport says.
To help manage the congestion, MSP has opened a new FLEX Lane at Terminal 1 for an additional area to pick-up and drop-off passengers. This new zone is located across from the primary drop-off curb, and offers terminal access through doors 5–8.
Big picture view:
AAA is predicting a record-setting Thanksgiving travel season, anticipating at least 81.8 million people will travel at least 50 miles or more from home. The majority, an estimated 73 million people, plan to travel by car, up 1.3 million people from last year.
Air travel is also expected to rise, with roughly 6 million travelers taking domestic flights, a 2% increase over the previous year, according to AAA.
Holiday travel tips
MSP provided tips for those planning to travel during the holidays:
- MSP passengers can reserve a spot in the security line for free using MSP reserve.
- Travelers can pre-book parking online, though it must be made at least 12 hours prior to the scheduled arrival time.
- Travelers using Terminal 1 can view the checkpoint wait-time boards upon arrival. All gates can be accessed from either checkpoint, though the North Checkpoint often has shorter wait times.
- Drivers can use the new FLEX Lane option, or use either level of the terminal to pick up or drop off passengers.
- To help reduce congestion, drivers are encouraged to wait at the free cellphone lots, located on Post Road, until their party is ready to be picked up.
The Source: This story uses information from MAC and AAA press release.
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