Minnesota Bill to Allow Early Launch of Cannabis Cultivation Signed Into Law

Minnesota will award cannabis cultivation licenses ahead of schedule this year under a proposal signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz (D), the Star Tribune reports.

The proposal seeks to better prepare the state for next year’s launch of its adult-use cannabis market. Any cannabis grown under the early licenses cannot be processed or sold until the general licensing process is completed sometime next year.

Previously, only certain social equity applicants would have been allowed to launch their cultivation businesses before next year.

Other changes to the cannabis program signed into law last Friday include expansions that would qualify between 30% and 40% of Minnesota adults as social equity applicants, and license caps to prevent oversaturation during the market’s first two years of retail dispensaries and other businesses. The bill also establishes a “qualified lottery” by the Office of Cannabis Management for next year’s distribution of cannabis licenses, the report said, but applicants will first need to meet certain qualifications including holding appropriate property and having operational plans in place.

Lastly, the bill will let Minnesota doctors recommend medical cannabis for the treatment of any condition they see fit and will allow registered patients to designate caregivers who can grow up to eight plants on their behalf.