North Star Cannabis Consulting announced in October the 22 entrepreneurs selected for Minnesota’s first cannabis business accelerator, combining 15 founding members with seven newly selected participants. The program provides collaborative support infrastructure for craft cannabis entrepreneurs as Minnesota’s adult-use market reaches a critical growth phase.

Former securities and cannabis attorney Jen Randolph Reise founded the accelerator after watching talented entrepreneurs struggle with regulatory complexity while lacking resources to compete with multi-state operators. The program offers regulatory guidance, vetted vendor networks, peer support, and accountability systems at a fraction of the cost of traditional legal consulting.

The accelerator explicitly focuses on Minnesota’s craft cannabis vision: community-centered, locally-owned businesses rather than corporate, multi-state operators (MSOs) entering Minnesota.

“Cannabis is small business on hard mode,” said Reise. “While the state funds allocated to help teach and fuel these small businesses are still unavailable to the entrepreneurs, we’re not waiting. Instead, we’ve leaned into the maxim that many hands make light work. We can accomplish more together. In other words, these 22 entrepreneurs represent what’s possible when small cannabis businesses have infrastructure to collaborate rather than struggle in isolation.”

Most members of the cohort are preliminarily approved for microbusinesses, Minnesota’s unique, vertically-integrated business model. Further, more than half the cohort represents women-owned and/or BIPOC-owned businesses, statistically the least-likely to receive funding as startup businesses. All members are committed to setting up compliant businesses in Minnesota and learning together how to make them profitable and successful.

“The accelerator connected me with the exact vendors I needed and helped me understand which city requirements to tackle first,” said Christopher Benben, Moonbug Cannabis. “Without this guidance, I would have spent months and thousands of dollars figuring out the process alone.”

Minnesota’s adult-use sales launched in September with 59 licenses issued to date, while over 1,500 entrepreneurs pursue microbusiness licenses. Industry research from Whitney Economics shows only 24-25% of cannabis businesses achieve profitability, with small operators facing particular challenges. The accelerator addresses this critical moment when craft businesses must establish themselves before market consolidation occurs.

With analysts projecting $430 million in 2026 cannabis sales in Minnesota, the accelerator positions participants to capture economic opportunity while creating local jobs and community investment. The 22 businesses represent Minnesota’s craft cannabis vision in action.

For more information:
North Star Cannabis Consulting
Email: [email protected]
northstarcannabisconsulting.com/