Cannabis at the Minnesota State Fair, Concerts, and Big Venues: Where It's Prohibited

Where Minnesota law and venue rules say no

A big public event layers several sets of rules on top of each other: state law, city or county ordinances, and the venue's own policy. For adults 21 and older, the practical answer is simple. Unless an event holds a license that allows on-site consumption, assume cannabis use is not allowed there. Below: the Minnesota State Fair, concerts and arenas, and the one licensed exception, each tied to the statute or the venue's own words.

This isn't legal advice. Rules change and venues update their policies, so check the current posted rules before you go.

The State Fair: marijuana smoking is prohibited

The Minnesota State Fair is the clearest example, because it says so in writing. Its health and safety FAQ states: "Marijuana smoking is prohibited throughout the fairgrounds."

The same page explains that smoking, including e-cigarettes and vape pens, is permitted only in designated areas. Those areas are placed at locations throughout the fairgrounds, each with a bench and a receptacle, and they are marked on the State Fair maps available at information booths. The marijuana line is separate. Those areas are not an exception to it. The prohibition covers the entire fairgrounds.

The fair's page doesn't address the sale of THC or CBD products, so we make no claim about that. For a question about a specific booth or product, ask the fair directly.

What the statute says about prohibited places

The fair's rule sits on top of state law. Minn. Stat. 342.09 lists where cannabis use is barred statewide. You can read the full list in Minn. Stat. 342.09; our guide to what Minn. Stat. 342.09 allows covers other parts of the same section. The places that matter for events are below.

Smoke-free places under the Clean Indoor Air Act

Section 342.09 bars inhaled smoke, aerosol or vapor at any location where smoking is prohibited under Minn. Stat. 144.414. That section, part of the Clean Indoor Air Act, prohibits smoking in public places, at public meetings, in places of employment and on public transportation, except as that section or section 144.4167 provides. In practice, an indoor arena, theater or ticketed hall that is a public place is generally covered, so cannabis smoking or vaping there is off the table.

Other listed places

The statute also bars use by anyone under 21, in a motor vehicle, in a public or charter school, and in a state correctional facility. It bars vaping or smoking in any location where the smoke, aerosol or vapor would be inhaled by a minor. Large events draw all ages. That's one more reason the safe assumption is no.

Private property and the owner's say

The statute allows use in a private residence and on private property that is not generally accessible to the public, but only if the owner has not explicitly prohibited it. That is the legal basis for a venue to set rules stricter than the statute. A venue open to ticket holders is not your backyard, and the owner's prohibition controls.

Concerts, arenas and other big venues

We did not find a single statewide rule written for stadiums or concert halls. What decides the question at a given venue is a combination of factors:

• Whether the building or area is covered by the Clean Indoor Air Act, which carries the state prohibition in section 342.09.
• Who owns it. A private owner can prohibit consumption on the property, and a public owner may be covered by a city or county ordinance.
• The venue's posted entry terms, which usually list what you may bring in and what you may do inside.

Venue rules can be stricter than state law, but they cannot make something legal that the statute prohibits. If a venue's page, ticket terms or signage says no cannabis, that settles it for that venue. If it says nothing, the statute and any local ordinance still apply, so the answer is still no in any smoke-free or public location.

Public places and local ordinances

Local governments have their own tool. Under Minn. Stat. 152.0263, subd. 5, a city or county may adopt an ordinance making it a petty misdemeanor to unlawfully use cannabis in a public place. The statute does not set the fine; the local ordinance does.

The statute defines "public place" to exclude a private residence and its yard, private property not generally accessible to the public (unless the owner explicitly prohibits consumption), and the premises of an establishment or event licensed to permit on-site consumption. Because ordinances differ from one city or county to the next, the rule outside a venue can differ from the rule a few miles away. Our article on cannabis on Minnesota public land covers the separate layer of federal and public-land rules.

Licensed events: the exception

Minnesota does have a path for on-site consumption at an event, and it is a license. The Office of Cannabis Management describes the requirements on its events page:

• Attendance must be limited to people 21 and older.
• All cannabis event activities require local approval, and an on-site consumption area needs its own specific approval.
• The event may not include the sale or consumption of alcohol or tobacco.
• An event may be multiday, but not longer than four consecutive days.
• Selling food infused with cannabis is against the law.

The license is temporary and is obtained separately for each event. The OCM page notes that starting January 1, 2027, the temporary license is replaced by an annual license; see what changes on January 1, 2027 for the wider picture. For a general fair or concert, the takeaway is simple: an ordinary ticketed event isn't one of these licensed events. Unless the event itself is licensed and says so, none of this applies to it.

Check before you go

For adults 21 and older, the order of questions is short. Is the event or venue licensed for on-site consumption? If not, does the venue's policy prohibit it? Is it a smoke-free or public place under state law? Does a local ordinance apply? An answer of "no" or "not sure" to the first question means plan on leaving cannabis at home. The State Fair has already answered for its grounds: marijuana smoking is prohibited throughout.

Questions about a specific product or about the store's own policies are best asked at the counter or on our FAQs page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I smoke cannabis at the Minnesota State Fair?

No. The State Fair's health and safety FAQ says marijuana smoking is prohibited throughout the fairgrounds. Its designated smoking areas are for the smoking and vaping the fair permits, and its page does not carve out cannabis.

Does state law ban cannabis use at concerts and stadiums?

State law bars use anywhere smoking is prohibited under the Clean Indoor Air Act and in several other listed places. Beyond that, a venue's own policy and local ordinances decide, and a private venue may be stricter than the statute. Check the venue's posted rules.

Is there anywhere at a large event where use is allowed?

Only at an establishment or event licensed to permit on-site consumption, which needs local government approval and is limited to people 21 and older.

For adults 21 and older only. Cannabis products have not been analyzed or approved by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Keep out of reach of children. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery after use. This article is general information about products sold in Minnesota, not medical advice; talk to a licensed clinician about your health.