More than half of all applicants are seeking the uncapped microbusiness license. There are nearly 200 social equity microbusiness applicants who were approved to enter the canMove to Trashceled preapproval lottery. These applicants, and any others who have been approved for uncapped license types, will be able to move forward in the licensing process once rules are in place. When these businesses have completed all of their requirements and passed a pre-opening inspection from the OCM, they will be licensed and can open their doors.
Five of Minnesota’s 11 tribal nations have already opened legal marijuana businesses on tribal lands. The governor’s office is negotiating cannabis compacts with 10 tribes. Each tribe must negotiate its own compact with the state. A draft of one such compact that was obtained by the Star Tribune in February would allow tribes to license up to five retail marijuana stores outside of tribal lands, as well as cultivation facilities with a total of up to 30,000 square feet of plants.
Taubel said the first couple of compacts are in the final stages before approval. Once a compact is in place, a tribal business can open outside of tribal lands immediately. White Earth Nation’s cannabis business, Waabigwan Mashkiki, expects to open its first off-reservation dispensary in Moorhead pretty quickly once the tribe’s compact is in place. It plans to open another store in St. Cloud soon as well.
Taubel estimated that the best-case scenario for issuing cannabis business licenses to applicants that have met all of their requirements and are ready to begin operating would be roughly 30 days after rules are in place. He said he believes the first state-licensed businesses and tribally owned off-reservation stores are likely to start operating around the same time.
Of course, state-licensed cultivators will need to grow cannabis before it can be processed, packaged and sold. It will likely be several months before these businesses can grow, test and package a substantial supply of marijuana. Tribal businesses are expected to help fill that gap by supplying their products to state-licensed businesses, but demand is still likely to exceed supply for some time.
Minnesota’s two medical cannabis suppliers, Green Thumb Industries, which operates the Rise chain of dispensaries, and Vireo Health, owner of the Green Goods chain, are likely to be among the first state-licensed businesses to begin selling adult-use cannabis under new medical cannabis combination business licenses.
