Serving Cannabis Beverages

Train Your Team
Educate Your Guests
Serve With Intention

Serving Cannabis Beverages Responsibly

Cannabis is not alcohol. Service is not the same. As cannabis beverages make their way behind the bar and into restaurants, hotels and consumption lounges, the rules of responsible service evolve.

Serve legally and responsibly
Recognize signs of over consumption
Know how to respond in case of emergency

Understanding Cannabis Beverage Laws in Minnesota

It's likely that MN will follow ‘Gram Shop Laws’ - that’s the cannabis version of Minnesota's alcohol-related ‘Dram Shop Laws’. Until we know one way or another, it’s safe practice to assume that the state will hold a business and/or servers liable if a person who was served a cannabis beverage subsequently causes bodily injury or property damage while operating a motor vehicle. Additionally, it is possible for the state to default to the dram shop laws in the event that a person is intoxicated by alcohol and is subsequently served a cannabis product and then causes bodily injury or property damage.

21+ to use, purchase, or transport cannabis beverages
18+ to serve cannabis beverages
If a patron causes bodily harm or property damage after cannabis consumption, your establishment and individual staff could be held liable.
Serving cannabis beverages before or after alcohol (some call it ‘Crossfading’) may compound effects and risk.
At this time, it is ‘Best Practice’ to have guests ‘choose a path’ and require that they stick to it for their visit.
Caveat: Many people who consume cannabis medicinally are not impaired by consumption.
- Yet they are still subject to laws around being ‘Under the Influence’

Responsible Cannabis Beverage Service

Start Low, Go Slow

Alcohol enters your bloodstream within 10 minutes of consumption. Most cannabis drinks take 30 - 90 minutes to take full effect.
Start with 2.5mg THC or less for new consumers.
Encourage new consumers to choose beverages that include additional cannabinoids such as CBD, CBG or CBN as they will mitigate the ‘high’ of THC and their presence lessens the chance of having a negative reaction to the THC isolate.
Everyone’s body processes cannabinoids a little differently. Some folks feel it in 15 minutes, for others it can take an hour or more and a small percentage of the population may not feel it at all.
Understanding responsible cannabis beverage service includes: pacing drinks, offering food and intervening when necessary.
Event Service as with alcohol, unless a person is visibly impaired, you can sell/serve two beverages per valid ID at a time.
Restaurant Service: cannabis beverage service should mirror the establishment’s established alcohol service protocol.

ID Checking

You must be 21 years old to use, purchase, or transport adult use and medical cannabis products.
You are responsible for checking their ID.

When a Guest Orders:

Ask: “Have you tried cannabis drinks before?”
Encourage questions & discussion.
Encourage guests to check for drug interactions.

Check the Label:

THC/CBD/CBC/etc. content (per serving and total container)
Number of servings in a container
Dosage (in mg)
Terpenes
Type (live rosin, live resin, isolate, full/broad-spectrum, nanoemulsion, etc.)
Does the product contain any other ‘neutrocutials’ such as caffeine or mushrooms? Cannabis may compound the effects.
How old is the product? Efficacy of some THC beverages start to degrade after 3 months.

Recognizing & Responding to Overconsumption

If this is a guest's first time consuming a cannabis beverage and they don’t feel anything and want another right away. “Let's give it a little more time. Some folks have a delayed response and once it kicks in, it can be strong. I want to make sure you have a good experience.”
If they still ‘don’t feel anything’. That’s not uncommon. Everyone’s different, your body may just process edibles more slowly or less efficiently.”
Harm reduction is good hospitality; our role isn’t just to serve, it’s to support a safe and enjoyable experience for the guest. Knowing that 5-15% of people may not feel edibles or might feel them unpredictably, helps you guide the guests to make the best decision for them. A rare liver enzyme could be the reason some people fail to experience a high, “ediblocked” after ingesting marijuana products. A gene known as CPY2C9 is behind the enzyme that helps metabolize THC. For some with a rare subtype of that gene, however, the process could essentially be too efficient: metabolizing THC into a waste product before the high-causing metabolite can enter the bloodstream.

Signs of Overconsumption:

usually occurs when cannabis is consumed by mouth or with edibles. The experience should dissipate in about 4 to 8 hours.

Slowed speech and thinking
Loss of coordination
Emotional distress
Anxiety
Paranoia
Hallucinations
Confusion
Nausea and vomiting
Resting heart rate over 100 beats per minute.

Offer Food and Hydration

As with alcohol, pairing cannabis beverages with food can reduce the intensity of effects.

Refusal of Service & Conflict Management

In MN, bartenders and servers have the legal right to refuse alcohol service to anyone under 21, anyone visibly intoxicated, or anyone exhibiting disruptive behavior.

At this time it is ‘Best Practice’ to have guests ‘choose a path’ and require that they stick to it for their visit.
It is not recommended to serve a cannabis beverage to anyone visibly impaired.
It is not recommended to serve alcohol to someone already consuming cannabis.
- Alcohol can increase the nervous system side effects of cannabis: dizziness, drowsiness, issues with concentrating, thinking, and judgement. It is best to avoid the use of alcohol with cannabis.
If a guest needs to be cut off, it is best practice to let any fellow front-line workers and managers/supervisors know what's happening. It is also best practice to document the incident as this can reduce liability for the establishment in the event the guest leaves the establishment and causes bodily injury or property damage while driving.
Use firm but respectful language:
- “While I'm not comfortable serving you a cannabis product at this moment, I would be happy to get you some water, an NA beverage, or some food."
- “For your safety, I can’t serve you more.”
- “We want to make sure you leave here feeling good, not overwhelmed. Let’s take a break and have some water.”
- “You’ve reached our serving limit for now. I appreciate your understanding.”
Offer water and food.
Notify a manager or security if needed.
Use de-escalation tools:
- Keep your tone and body language calm
- Avoid confrontation
- Create space

Refusing service to minors

ID anyone who appears under 35 years old. If they are under 21 per their ID, then we simply say we are not permitted under MN law to sell cannabis products to anyone under 21.
If the ID indicates that the guest is over 21, but the front-line worker has doubts about the authenticity of the ID, you can ask the guest to state their birthdate and address while still holding the guest's ID. If the guest gets that wrong, or the ID otherwise appears to be fake, it would best to refuse to sell a cannabis product to that individual.

If Someone Consumes Too Much

Overconsumption usually occurs when cannabis is ingested. Ask if they want medical help. If they cannot respond or symptoms are severe (paranoia, anxiety, emotional distress, confusion, seizures, chest pain, tachycardia - resting heart rate over 100 beats per min. - hallucinations, nausea and vomiting; Call 911.

If the guest chooses to ‘wait it out’:

Move them to a quiet, low-stimulation area.
Someone calm and supportive needs to stay with them.
- The effects of smoking or vaping typically subside in 1–3 hours.
- Edibles can take 4-12 hours to fully wear off.
- Dim the lights, reduce noise, and provide a place to sit or lie down.
- Let them rest if they feel sleepy.
- “You’re safe. This feeling will pass.”
- “This feeling can be intense, but it’s temporary and not uncommon after consuming too much.”
- “Let’s focus on your senses. Look around and tell me five things that you see. Now show me four things you can touch. Three things you can hear, two things you can smell and then take a deep breath, hold it for a moment and feel your feet solidly on the ground.” Repeat as necessary.
- Have them recite the alphabet, and then do it backwards, take as much time as you need.
- Try ‘Box Breathing’:
  - Inhale 4 seconds → Hold 4 → Exhale 4 → Hold 4
  - Repeat this pattern as necessary
- Have them sing the words to their favorite song.
- Give them a warm, wet towel for their face, neck and pulse points.
If possible, have them walk around in some fresh air.
Ask them about subjects that they’re interested in, refocus their attention.
Offer water or juice (no alcohol, caffeine).
Try breathing techniques: deep, slow breaths.
Use grounding tools: “Name 5 things you can see…”
If available, offer:
- CBD oil - if taken within a window, CBD oil held under the tongue may mitigate some of the negative effects of consuming too much THC.
- Lemon peel/juice - anecdotally, consuming fresh lemon juice may mitigate some negative effects.
- Chewing peppercorns - peppercorns contain beta-caryophyllene which interacts directly with your Endocannabinoid System. Anecdotally, chewing whole peppercorns may mitigate some negative effects.

Until cannabis-specific laws are clarified, assume:

Bartenders, servers, and establishments may be responsible for outcomes of cannabis service.
Serving cannabis before or after alcohol may increase liability.

Consumption ≠ Combustion