Worth It podcast: When will more cannabis dispensaries open in Minnesota?

Also: Inflatable watercraft have people super pumped in the land of lakes. And diminishing wild rice harvests feed a debate over the best response.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
July 25, 2025 at 11:00AM
(From left) Today Desk editor David Taintor, night editor and "Worth It" host Nicole Norfleet, audience editor Matt DeLong, North Central Minnesota reporter Kim Hyatt and outdoors reporter Bob Timmons. (Matt Gillmer)

On this week’s episode

Recreational marijuana has been legal in Minnesota for two years now. We’ve got an update on where things stand.

People are getting pumped up about inflatable watercrafts. We’ll talk about how these inflatables became game changers for lake life.

Plus, wild rice harvests have been diminishing, and there’s a fierce debate over how to respond. What you need to know about the battle over Minnesota’s state grain.

This week’s guests

This week’s guests are audience editor and Nuggets newsletter writer Matt DeLong, outdoors reporter Bob Timmons and North Central Minnesota reporter Kim Hyatt.

Hosted by Nicole Norfleet, “Worth It” is a collaboration between the Minnesota Star Tribune and Lemonada Media. The production team includes Melissa Townsend, Kryssy Pease, Tiffany Bui, Zoë Jackson and Casey Darnell.

about the writer

about the writer

Nicole Norfleet

Night Editor

Nicole is one of the team leaders of the Today desk and typically works as the night editor. Previously, she worked as a business reporter covering beats like the retail industry and commercial real estate. In 2022, she and Jeffrey Meitrodt were named Pulitzer Prize investigative reporting finalists for their "Unsettled" series.

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Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune

President Donald Trump’s order starts the process of reclassifying cannabis alongside drugs with recognized medical uses, a change that could reshape taxes and enforcement in Minnesota.

People line up to purchase recreational cannabis Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023 outside NativeCare in Red Lake, Minn.. The Red Lake Nation opened the state's first recreational marijuana dispensary Tuesday morning. ] AARON LAVINSKY • aaron.lavinsky@startribune.com
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