Officials with the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) are now accepting cannabis business license applications for the state’s upcoming adult-use cannabis industry.
The application window runs from February 18 to March 14, and lotteries will determine the final license winners later this year. The lotteries will cover the state’s first cycle of cannabis microbusiness, mezzobusiness, cultivator, manufacturer, retail, wholesaler, transporter, testing facility, delivery service, and medical/adult-use cannabis combo licenses.
“Getting licenses into the hands of business owners is our priority and today marks another step towards opening Minnesota’s cannabis market. There is a great deal of interest from business owners who want to get started in this new space. We’re looking forward to working with applicants to take the crucial next steps in becoming licensed so they can make their businesses a reality.” — OCM Interim Director Eric Taubel, in a press release
The application window is available to verified social equity applicants and applicants who are looking to join the general licensing pool.
Minnesota’s cannabis licensing structure dictates that four of the industry’s license types — the mezzobusiness, cultivator, manufacturer, and retail licenses — have hard caps, while the remaining six license types are uncapped. Verified social equity applicants for the capped license types will be entered into an initial lottery covering half of the available licenses, separate from the general licensing pool, and applicants who participate but are not selected during the social equity lottery will be automatically entered into the general licensing pool. Additionally, verified social equity applicants who applied for one of the uncapped license types will automatically qualify, officials said.
Officials anticipate opening the application window for cannabis event organizer licenses this summer, with low-potency hemp edible manufacturer and retailer licenses to be accepted in the fall. The OCM also noted that cities or counties that wish to open a municipal cannabis store should apply for a retailer license during the application window and that municipal cannabis licenses are not subject to a lottery.
Last year, Minnesota cannabis officials planned to hold a social equity licensing lottery that was designed to give disadvantaged operators an early start — and leg up — in the industry. But officials abandoned the effort amid a series of lawsuits, opting instead to launch with the general licensing lottery.
The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management’s former director Charline Briner resigned in January, leaving Taubel as interim director.
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