Ohio has legalized recreational cannabis. Click HERE to learn more about cannabis business opportunities in Ohio.
Are you looking for information on how to open a cannabis dispensary in Minnesota?
This page will keep you up to date on the most recent news and important developments on starting a marijuana business in Minnesota, including information pertaining to the future of cannabis in the state.
On May 30, 2023, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed a bill legalizing recreational marijuana, making Minnesota the 23rd state to do so. The law allows adults aged 21 and older to possess and use marijuana, expunges low-level convictions, and establishes regulations for its sale.
On August 1, 2023, adults aged 21 and older can now possess and use cannabis. While dispensaries are on hold until a licensing system is established, expected by early 2025, tribal governments, including Minnesota’s 11 Native American tribal nations, can operate their own dispensaries independently. The Red Lake Nation has already opened the first recreational marijuana dispensary, called NativeCare, on August 1st, offering cannabis access to individuals aged 21 and older.
Advocates in Minnesota made multiple attempts to advance marijuana legalization prior to its legalization in the state.
A growing number of Minnesotans expressed support for the legalization of marijuana. Legalizing recreational marijuana would provide tens of thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions in tax revenue. 58% of respondents to the 2021 House of Representatives State Fair Poll said they favor adult-use cannabis legalization. This shows an increase in approval when compared to the chamber’s 2019 study, when support stood at 56%.
On May 13, 2021, with a 72-61 vote, the state House of Representatives approved a bill sponsored by Rep. Ryan Winkler, Rep. Melissa Hortman, and other lawmakers, to legalize the use of recreational cannabis in Minnesota. The proposed bill, HF600, would permit adults 21 years of age and older to purchase and possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis as well as cultivate up to eight plants. Unfortunately, the bill did not pass into law as of May 23, 2022.
For the 2022 session, Ryan Winkler (D) planned to change the legislation in order to get more people to support the House-passed reform bill. Licensing structures, public safety, and substance abuse issues are some of the things that lawmakers will be looking at to improve the bill. When the Minnesota Hemp Growers Cooperative put on a roundtable event on January 19, 2022, Ryan Winkler (D) and Melisa Franzen (D) talked about legislative strategies.
On January 26, 2022, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) showed support for legalizing marijuana as part of his huge supplementary budget. Walz included funding to execute marijuana legalization in his yearly budget proposal to legislators.
On July 1st, 2022, legislation that legalizes edibles in Minnesota that contain trace levels of THC entered into effect. HF 3595 allows for the sale of edibles and beverages that contain up to 5 milligrams of THC generated from hemp in each serving. The state Board of Pharmacy issued a FAQ document that explains what kinds of edible and non-edible hemp products are permitted and prohibited under the law.
On December 29th, 2022, MN is Ready, a group of Minnesota activists, announced the beginning of the next stage of their campaign to legalize marijuana in the state. This stage includes grassroots advocacy and lobbying lawmakers to adopt a revised reform measure that advanced through the House last year. In a press release, MN is Ready announced that outgoing House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (D) has signed on as the coalition’s campaign chairman after having sponsored the aforementioned legislation.
On January 24th, 2023, Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota revealed his budget proposal for the 2024-2025 biennium that includes funds for different state agencies to carry out the legalization of marijuana. The proposal also outlines the projections for cannabis revenue as state lawmakers work towards advancing reform.
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), an affiliate of the democratic party, pushed to legalize cannabis for adult use in the state. HF 100 would allow adults over the age of 21 to legally possess and transport up to two ounces of cannabis flower in public. On January 6th, 2023, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz tweeted his continued support for the state’s cannabis legalization initiative, saying it’s time to legalize adult-use cannabis and erase cannabis convictions in Minnesota and added that he is prepared to sign the bill into law.
On April 19th, 2023, SF 73, a companion bill to legalize marijuana in Minnesota was approved by another Senate committee, signaling progress towards being considered by the full chamber.
On April 28th, 2023, the Minnesota Senate passed HF 100 to legalize marijuana, setting the stage for negotiations with the House to reconcile differences. The bill has been amended multiple times and added proposals to increase funding for the State Patrol and substance use treatment. The session ends on May 22nd, leaving lawmakers with just a few weeks to get the bill to the governor’s desk.
On May 20th, 2023, Minnesota took a significant step towards legalizing recreational marijuana as the state legislature passed HF 100. The bill received approval from the House on May 18th with a vote of 73-57, followed by the Senate’s endorsement on May 20th with a vote of 34-32. On May 30, 2023, Democratic Governor Tim Walz, committed to supporting the legalization of cannabis for adults, signed the bill legalizing recreational marijuana in the state..
Numbers from a Denver-based Marijuana Policy Group project that cannabis sales in Minnesota would reach $426 million in year one of adult-use cannabis legalization and would grow to $1.2 billion by year five.
Additionally, it is estimated that legalization will have a significant impact on the state’s projected tax revenue. The group projected $112 million in tax revenue in the first year and $300 million by the fifth year. Legalization will reportedly generate an annual economic impact of $2.6 billion and 20,000 jobs.
A few cities have opted to temporarily pause cannabis-related businesses. With the recent legislation allowing the use of marijuana for adults, cities have the authority to establish temporary regulations that prevent the operation of cannabis establishments until January 1, 2025.
On August 15th, the East Grand Forks City Council unanimously prohibited cannabis use in public areas. Similar decisions have been made recently by Brooklyn Center, Mankato, West St. Paul, Ramsey, East Grand Forks, Detroit Lakes, Alexandria, and Dilworth, all disallowing cannabis use in public spaces.
On this page, we will keep you informed of any changes in Minnesota towns’ stances and restrictions on recreational cannabis.
On May 29, 2014, Minnesota joined 21 other states in considering marijuana to be a legal medicine after Gov. Mark Dayton signed into law the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Act (SF2470), a medical marijuana program that is among one of the nation’s most restrictive.
The use of medical cannabis in Minnesota is limited to patients who are Minnesota residents, who have been diagnosed with one of the qualifying diseases, and who have been certified as such. Cancer, HIV/AIDS, and Alzheimer’s disease are among the conditions that qualify. Sickle cell illness and chronic motor disorder will be eligible for the program starting in August 2021. You can see the comprehensive list of qualifying conditions by visiting the Department of Health’s website. On May 25, 2021, Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill (HF 2128) into law allowing the use of raw/flower cannabis by adults 21 and older.
According to the Office of Medical Cannabis’ Minnesota Medical Cannabis Patient Registry, there are 39,872 active patients with approved enrollment as of August 17, 2023.
A licensed manufacturer is allowed to cultivate, produce, and distribute medical cannabis. There are two medical cannabis manufacturers registered with the Minnesota Department of Health. Currently, no new manufacturer license applications are being accepted.
The application fee costs $20,000 and the annual license fee is estimated to be in the region of $75,000 to $100,000.
According to state law, medicinal cannabis must be tested for content, contaminants, and consistency by third-party laboratories that have been approved by the state’s commissioner. Applications for laboratory licenses are currently open.
To thoroughly evaluate applying laboratories, the testing process is divided into three parts:
Visit Medical Cannabis Laboratory Application Process and Forms for additional information.
As previously stated, HF600, a bill to legalize marijuana in the state of Minnesota was passed by the Minnesota House of Representatives. Although the bill is dead, here’s what it would have accomplished:
Here are the key provisions outlined in the final marijuana legalization bill HF100:
Under HF 100, the establishment of the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) will occur to regulate the market and grant cannabis business licenses. The issuance of licenses and commencement of sales are anticipated to take 12-18 months.
To obtain a cannabis business license, the applicant must meet the following requirements:
HF100 will establish 16 license categories, encompassing a wide range of operations including:
Starting from March 1, 2025, medical cannabis businesses will have the opportunity to obtain combination licenses, enabling their involvement in the adult-use market.
As the state’s cannabis program, particularly the recreational program, grows in scope, we will keep you informed about all relevant news and legislation pertaining to the opening of a dispensary in Minnesota. You can stay up to date on all relevant news and comments based on Minnesota Legalization by signing up for our Minnesota Cannabis Mailing List (see below).
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