Sweet Leaves Offers a New Approach to Cannabis Dispensaries in Minnesota 

Sweet Leaves owner Adam Hoffman knew he didn’t want his cannabis dispensary to be like the others in Minnesota. He wanted his dispensary to stand out from the rest.

Hoffman and others involved in starting Sweet Leaves took to other dispensaries around the country to figure out what they wanted their own business to look like to customers. Los Angeles and New York City were among these stops.

This is how Sweet Leaves was brought to life, changing the game for cannabis dispensaries.

“It’s a personal accomplishment to have this but also to be able to deliver a place that people in the community can come to that they don’t feel guilty about going to because it’s a happy place to go to,” Hoffman said. “It’s a place where people can forget about reality for the 10 to 15 minutes they’re in here.”

Products range from edibles to cannabis beverages to accessories like bongs and pipes. Hoffman said Sweet Leaves offers an exclusive beverage called Floral, the only dispensary in Minnesota to offer these.

Sweet Leaves offers their own organic edibles with plenty of different flavors for customers to try. Hoffman said people have come to him in the past saying edibles they had taken didn’t feel “clean” to them, so he wanted to make sure people were getting the healthiest experience possible.

Sweet Leaves also sells artwork that is able to be purchased. Along with paintings on the walls, ceramic ashtrays and bongs are also able to be purchased.

Hoffman stressed the importance of education since it’s been less than a year since cannabis was legalized in Minnesota. He said there is a lack of education around cannabis, so he wants people to be able to come into Sweet Leaves and be able to ask questions about the products they’re purchasing.

“Education around this space is lacking, and my biggest thing starting this was education first,” Hoffman said. “We want to educate our customers and people who are wondering about different aspects of the cannabis industry.”

Hoffman added that, while Sweet Leaves did not run into any legal issues with cannabis being so new to the Twin Cities area, his business is dedicated to keeping up with policies the state continues to regulate for cannabis dispensaries.

Another factor making Sweet Leaves stand out from other Minnesota dispensaries is the welcoming environment of the store. Although people cannot consume the products on site, Hoffman said anybody from any background of life is welcomed at the store.

“This place needs to be a place for everyone no matter how you identify or what gender you are, how old you are,” Hoffman said. “People ask what my target market is and I say ‘I want everybody.’”

Hoffman said there is stigma around cannabis but doesn’t think there should be since many adults enjoy an alcoholic beverage after work. He said people should be able to do the same with cannabis by taking an edible or having a THC drink without judgment.

Opening an independent business never goes as according to plan entirely, and Hoffman said Sweet Leaves faced its own challenges when going through this process. Construction didn’t always go as planned and delays in products halted the original opening date.

“With a lot of hard work and a lot of great minds behind the business, we were able to solve a lot of problems along the way really quickly,” Hoffman said.

You can find Sweet Leaves located in the North Loop of Minneapolis, an iconic location with several other cool shops and stops in the Minneapolis area. Hoffman said he is excited to have his shop be in the North Loop because of it being in the heart of Minneapolis.

Hoffman opened Sweet Leaves with his brother, David, and said he has had an abundance of support from friends and family when going out on his own to make this dream come to life.

Hoffman wants people in Minnesota to enjoy the high they get from cannabis no matter what form they consume it in as he understands himself what the plant can do for those who want to give it a try.

“The birds chirp louder, the leaves turn greener, your smile is a little bit bigger, and that’s what I love about the plant,” Hoffman said. “It turns on that other part of my brain that can’t be opened until I consume cannabis.”

Part of the reason Sweet Leaves came to fruition was because Hoffman wanted to share his passion for cannabis with those around him. He said he believes it can help people in several different ways.

“I’m really passionate about the plant and what it can do for people but also what it did and still does for me as well is the biggest thing that keeps me passionate about this business and the product that I sell,” Hoffman said.

Sweet Leaves
905 N. Washington Ave., Minneapolis
www.sweetleavesnorthloop.com