While Minnesota lawmaker worked to pass cannabis law, her partner started a cannabis business

As state Rep. Jessica Hanson, DFL-Burnsville, negotiated a sweeping set of cannabis policy changes during the closing weeks of this year’s legislative session, her partner registered a new cannabis business called Weed Girl.

State business records show Joseph Nickleson, who the two-term lawmaker described as her “life partner,” registered Weed Girl LLC on May 3, while the legislative session was still underway. That same month, Hanson played a key role in pushing a cannabis omnibus bill across the finish line. She was one of two House sponsors of the bill and served on the conference committee that fine-tuned the legislation before the final version passed, with Hanson voting in favor. Hanson said she was not employed by Weed Girl during the session, she was working in her corporate health care job at the time.

Earlier this month, Hanson posted to her personal Facebook account an announcement for Weed Girl, inviting friends who want to help with “our business stuff that we talked about” to reach out.

Hanson has previously referred to herself at public events as a “weed girl.” In July 2023, two months after Minnesota lawmakers voted to legalize recreational marijuana, Hanson registered a business called The Weed Girl LLC, according to state records. That company is no longer active, she said.

“At the time I registered [The Weed Girl LLC], I thought I could start a business by myself but quickly learned that being a business owner was not in my cards given everything else on my plate at the time,” Hanson told the Star Tribune in a text message exchange.

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Hanson said her involvement in the new Weed Girl LLC is limited. She acknowledged working there but said she isn’t an owner or involved in day-to-day operations or decision-making. Weed Girl and its parent company, United Highs, are both 100% owned by Nickleson, Hanson said. She and Nickleson are Weed Girl’s only investors using their personal savings, she said.

“My role there is to be supportive as needed as it is in most start-up family businesses,” Hanson said. She added that “it’s important for me to understand what small business is like” after spending much of her professional career in the corporate world. Weed Girl will operate in the low-dose, hemp-derived market, Hanson said.

Hanson said she has consulted with Minnesota House legal staff and will note any income she receives from the business on her financial disclosure statement. Her most recent economic interest statement, dated June 4, does not include any such income.

Weed Girl is listed as a major sponsor of next month’s Legacy Cup cannabis festival at Surly Field in Minneapolis. According to event promotional materials, the sponsorship cost $25,000, which Weed Girl is splitting with another company, organizers said. In an email, Nickleson said he is preparing to launch Weed Girl in the low-dose, hemp-derived edibles and drinks market. The company will also offer branded merchandise, he said.

Hamline University political science Prof. David Schultz, a government ethics expert, pointed out that Minnesota lawmakers are “part-time” – as opposed to legislative bodies like Congress that bar lawmakers from outside employment – which inherently creates more opportunities for potential conflicts of interest to arise. Still, Hanson’s involvement with Weed Girl is problematic as a sitting lawmaker and legislative leader on cannabis, he said.

“She’s got a conflict of interest,” Schultz said. “Going forward, I don’t think she can offer legislation [related to cannabis]. She can’t be a chair of any committee where this legislation comes from, and I think she has to recuse herself from voting.”

Schultz added that the Legislature’s rules regarding conflicts of interest are weak compared to some other states.

Asked what steps she plans to take to avoid such conflicts on cannabis issues in the future, Hanson noted that farmers, nurses and teachers who serve as legislators can sponsor and vote on bills related to their professions.

“If a situation of actual or perceived conflict arises about a future bill and my personal life, both my private and public comments and decisions will address them accordingly at that time,” she said.