Minnesota’s Legal Cannabis Market on Track for 2025 Launch, Despite Delays
The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management is still on schedule to launch the state’s legal recreational cannabis market in 2025, according to interim director Charlene Briner. Despite concerns from some prospective businesses that the process is moving too slowly, Briner reassured that the agency is working diligently to meet the needs of operators, consumers, and medical patients.
The Office of Cannabis Management has exceeded expectations in building the regulatory framework, with the first set of draft rules now available. A second version is expected to be published and finalized by the first quarter of next year. Once the rules are in place, businesses can begin operating.
To give entrepreneurs a head start, the agency has started issuing preapproved licenses. Social equity applicants, who are eligible for these licenses, have submitted paperwork for 1,800 of the 280 available licenses. The office will randomly select license winners through a lottery process, which has not yet occurred. Initially, the agency had planned to complete the lottery by fall, but Briner insists that the delay is necessary to thoroughly review each application and ensure compliance with state statute.
The application process has been complex and technical, with the office recently notifying over 360 applicants that they need additional documents to clarify their applications. Briner emphasized that the agency is also reviewing ownership structures to prevent predatory practices and ensure that social equity applicants are not unfairly disadvantaged.
Despite the delays, Briner remains confident that the cannabis market will be operational by 2025, with businesses in every part of the supply chain, from cultivators to retailers. She cited similar programs in other states, such as Maryland, which took 90 days to review applications, as a benchmark for Minnesota’s process.
The Office of Cannabis Management is expected to issue the first licenses by the end of this year, with the market launch scheduled for 2025.
