Minnesota (Finally) Holds Cannabis License Lottery

On June 5, the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) held lotteries to determine license-holders for the state’s new recreational cannabis market. The lottery was for general applicants and Social Equity Applicants (SEA) seeking cannabis cultivator, manufacturer, retail, and mezzobusinesses licenses.

As of June 3, the State reported that there were 96 applicants for 50 available cultivator licenses, over 270 applicants for 100 mezzobusiness licenses, and 720 applicants for 150 retailer licenses. It should be noted that these numbers exclude applications that were withdrawn or denied. There are also other cannabis business license types that do not have caps and were not part of the planned lotteries.

A second lottery for cannabis retailer licenses for applicants who were not selected in the June 5 lottery will be held in July of this year.

Minnesota’s cannabis law was passed in August 2023, making it the 23rd state in the nation to legalize adult-use cannabis. The cannabis license preapproval lottery was originally scheduled for November of last year, but it was postponed to last week.