Minnesota’s cannabis market is on the verge of launching after an administrative law judge approved the draft rules, according to the state’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). The judge’s ruling occurred on Wednesday, and the approved rules will soon be published in the State Register, taking effect later this month.
With the new rules in place, OCM officials can begin issuing business licenses to qualified applicants in several categories, including delivery service, medical combination, microbusiness, testing facility, transporter, and wholesaler.
For those seeking cultivator, manufacturer, mezzobusiness, or retailer licenses, the state will conduct lottery drawings. The lotteries will occur in two parts: the first part is exclusively for verified social equity applicants, while the second part will open to all qualified applicants if there are remaining licenses available. OCM officials have stated that these lotteries may take place in May or June.
Currently, there are over 1,000 qualified applicants for these licenses, with more than 600 poised to receive business licenses after completing necessary background checks, signing labor peace agreements with labor organizations, and securing approvals from local governments.
Between February 18 and March 14, more than 2,000 applications were submitted for cannabis licenses, with over 1,800 applications filed in 2024 alone. This comes after the passage of a 300-page bill that allows adults aged 21 and older to use recreational marijuana, which was signed into law by Governor Tim Walz in May 2023.
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