Minnesota Opens Applications For Cannabis Business Social Equity License Preapproval

Since July 24th, prospective cannabis business owners verified as social equity applicants were instructed to submit applications for cannabis business license preapproval through the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management's (OCM) website. This marks a crucial step for those wishing to participate in Minnesota’s burgeoning cannabis industry.

"The high degree of interest we're seeing from prospective business operators reflects the excitement of Minnesotans as we continue working to launch the market,” said Charlene Briner, OCM interim director. “We're committed to providing a wide range of resource materials and documents to help applicants at this important stage of the process."

Application Timeline

As reported by OCM, the application period will run from July 24 to August 12, following a schedule defined by state law. Business license solicitations and all required documentation must be submitted through the office’s website, where informative and technical resources can also be found. 

Social Equity Verification Requirement

To proceed with the registration, applicants must have received social equity verification. OCM plans to offer additional social equity verification opportunities for future licensing rounds. This step also includes paying the application fee for the requested license.

Once submitted, requests will undergo a thorough review and vetting process. Qualified applicants will then be entered into a lottery that will award licenses in nine different categories. Following the completion of the lottery, OCM will notify each applicant whether or not they were selected. The first license lottery is set to take place this fall.