(FOX 9) – The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has announced the date for the cannabis license application lotteries. 

Cannabis license application lottery date announced

What we know:

According to OCM, the date for the application lottery is set for June 5. 

The lottery will include social equity and general applicants for three licensing types: cannabis cultivator, cannabis manufacturer, and cannabis mezzobusiness. 

There will also be a lottery on June 5 for social equity applicants applying for a cannabis retail license. OCM says a lottery for general applicants for the cannabis retailer license will be this summer. That lottery will also include a second chance for social equity applicants who were not selected in the first lottery on June 5. 

What they’re saying:

“The office has prioritized the review of applications for the license types necessary to successfully stage the market,” said OCM Interim Director Eric Taubel. “Today’s announcement reflects the office’s goal to license the supply chain from the starting points in order to foster an equitable cannabis market that prioritizes public health and safety, consumer confidence, and market integrity.” 

“In the coming weeks, more and more applicants will be notified that they are advancing to the application lotteries. They will soon join the hundreds of qualified social equity applicants who are already deep in the process of completing application requirements,” said Jess Jackson, OCM’s director of social equity. “It’s exciting to see the entrepreneurial spirit of our applicants as they get closer to having a license in hand and prepare to open their doors for business.”  

When will cannabis businesses be ready in MN?

What we don’t know:

Even when licenses are actually issued, we still don’t know how long it will take for Minnesota cannabis businesses to get up and running. The fly in the ointment is a state requirement that cannabis businesses use Minnesota-grown products.

Microbusinesses are allowed to grow, manufacture cannabis products and run a single retail location. But, large-scale cultivator licenses are capped. So, even when the lotteries are completed, it will still take time for cultivators to grow the cannabis needed to supply the Minnesota market.

Last month, the Office of Cannabis Management said the state would likely need “1.5 to 2 million square feet of canopy” to meet Minnesota’s demand for cannabis products. Currently, there is about 60,000 square feet.