Minnesota Cannabis Regulators Propose Temporary Licenses To Assure Timely Launch Of Weed Sales

Minnesota’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) recently held an informational webinar in which it revealed that the agency is still hiring new employees and setting up the infrastructure to run the legal cannabis marketplace. State regulators indicated they’re hoping the legislature will consider proposed changes to the licensing process enabling the program’s launch in 2025, writes CBS News.

Among the proposed changes detailed in two reports is a recommendation to allow temporary business licenses, especially for social equity applicants to launch sales sooner rather than later.

“When I say temporary licenses, I mean early licenses — so as soon as this summer depending on if the legislature decides to take us up on that,” said Charlene Briner, an interim director of the OCM. 

Briner also hopes lawmakers will remove limitations to obtaining a license, a process she describes as a "bottleneck" that requires applicants to first secure property for their business before they get a license to operate. 

“Trying to secure that building and spend thousands if not millions on a facility — without any assurances of obtaining a license — is incredibly expensive and uncertain and creates a great deal of risk for potential business operators,” Briner said. 

The OCM is also working on setting up an online application system for prospective business owners to apply for licenses. 

Briner wants regulators to adopt the law with recommendations "designed to both help us launch successfully and in a timely way, and also to help us effectively regulate over time,” she said at the meeting. 

Related Links: 

Minnesota: Office Of Cannabis Management Wants Public Input To Help It Establish Industry Rules

Investigation Points To Troubling Oversights In Naming Minnesota Cannabis Czar 

Photo: Courtesy of Handatko via Shutterstock