Minnesota Poised to Become the 23rd State to Legalize Adult-Use Cannabis

May 23, 2023 Minnesota

The Minnesota legislature has sent a cannabis legalization bill to Governor Tim Walz’s desk, and he is expected to sign it after the Memorial Day weekend. Once signed, the new law will legalize the possession and personal cultivation of cannabis in Minnesota at the beginning of August. There are certain expungement provisions that will go into effect this year as well. But as far as an established adult-use cannabis industry, that is likely to take a few months. When talking about licensing new cannabis establishments with Minnesota’s local CBS affiliate, Governor Walz said that “[i]t’s going to take a while. We have to put the regime into place. We’ll have to make sure the licensing stands up.” He also added that once the Office of Cannabis Management (the regulatory body created by the new law) is up and running, Minnesotans are “going to know what the product [they’re] buying is, there’s going to be a regulated, safe environment and we’re going to be able to stand that up.”

While there is no question that getting a new industry up and running will take some time, the good news is that it seems like the regulators are eager to get going. Within hours of the bill receiving the final votes in the legislature, the Minnesota OCM’s website went live with FAQs and other information. The actual timeline for the industry will be mainly controlled by how quickly the OCM can gear up and roll out applications, which realistically could happen before the end of the year.

Our cannabis team is excited about the opportunity that Minnesota brings for both existing operators and those looking to break into the industry. We are following Minnesota closely and are prepared to assist our clients in obtaining new licenses in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Be sure to continue to follow our blog for updates and please reach out to the author (David Standa, [email protected]) to discuss opportunities in Minnesota.

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Minnesota Poised to Become the 23rd State to Legalize Adult-Use Cannabis

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