Thousands vie for Minnesota marijuana permits; 2025 launch viable

More than 3,500 applicants are seeking adult-use marijuana business licenses in Minnesota.

Though the final regulations for the impending market still require sign-off from a judge, hopeful observers told The Minnesota Star Tribune that the application pool suggests adult-use sales could begin sometime in 2025.

In all, regulators received 3,529 applications for one of 10 license types as of March 24, according to data released by the state Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) this week

Almost half of the applicants – 1,741 – are social equity applicants, according to the OCM.

The license types available mean as many as 2,100 permits allowing at least one recreational cannabis store could be issued, along with as many as 2,000 permits allowing cultivation of some size, the Star Tribune reported.

However, the OCM is expected to disqualify at least some of the applicants, while others are expected to withdraw from eligibility, according to the newspaper.

Regulators received:

• 273 applications for 100 mezzobusiness permits.
• 96 applications for 50 cultivator licenses.
• 83 applications for 24 manufacturer permits.
• 854 applications for 150 retailer licenses.

Four license types are capped under state law.

Capped licenses will be split equally between social equity applicants and general applicants, authorities have said.

For the uncapped license categories, the OCM received:

• 1,849 microbusiness applications.
• 48 wholesaler applications.
• 72 transporter applications.
• 12 testing lab applications.
• 236 delivery service applications
• 6 “medical combination” applications.

Minnesota legalized adult-use marijuana in 2023, but progress to launch a market has been too slow for some.

The OCM changed executive directors in January, several months after a judge ordered regulators to redo a social equity license lottery.

And regulators briefly extended a monthlong application window that closed in early March after a computer snafu.