Business

THC companies across the country are clamoring to partner with Chill State Collective, Minnesota's first and only all-in-one distribution center exclusively for hemp-derived THC beverages.

State of play: The collective, started late last year by the folks behind cooperative brewing company Fair State, partners with brands across the country to co-pack, store and distribute their drinks here in Minnesota.

Snoop Dogg and Master P are teaming up on a line of cereals that will be made by Lakeville-based Post Consumer Brands.

Driving the news: The two rappers — real names Calvin Broadus and Percy Miller — are behind a food company called Broadus Foods.

For Black History Month, we're sharing some Black-owned businesses to support year-round in and around the metro.

• Looking for more? Search the Minnesota Black-Owned Business Directory by category and location.

Here are some of our picks:

The Twin Cities need more housing, and downtown Minneapolis office towers are becoming emptier. That’s led to speculation that skyscrapers will be turned into apartments.

Yes, but: It's not that easy.

Driving the news: A recent report by real estate firm CBRE predicts that the volume of office space in the U.S. converted into apartments will double this year compared to 2022.

Amazon informed Minnesota state officials that it's closing its smaller Shakopee sorting center, called MSP5, where 680 people are employed.

Between the lines: Amazon has been closing smaller warehouses across the country as demand for space has subdued after the pandemic surge, per CNN.

Gov. Tim Walz's $65.2 billion budget proposal includes big spending increases and new tax credits and checks for millions of Minnesotans.

The big picture: Walz's plan, released in full Tuesday, represents a roughly 25% increase from the current two-year budget. It taps a $17.6 billion surplus to pay for hikes for schools, housing, and more government programs.

Union membership dropped in Minnesota last year, per recently released data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The big picture: 10.1% of U.S. workers were unionized in 2022, down from 10.3% in 2021 and a high of 20.1% in 1983, the first year the BLS reported comparable figures, Axios' Nathan Bomey writes.

The lowest paid workers in Minnesota have received the largest wage increases over the past three years amidst a shifting labor market.

Driving the news: Nearly nine out of 10 Minnesota workers now make more than $15 an hour, up from seven in 10 workers five years ago.