4/20 in Minnesota: A Market Coming Into Focus

MN CANNABIS UPDATES

Target has obtained LPHE-R licenses for all 72 of its Minnesota locations, building on its 10-store pilot last year and making it the state's largest licensed hemp THC retailer.

The Star Tribune wrote about the difficult jurisdictional situation of Therese Haugen (T's THC), who built a cultivation facility on her land within the Leech Lake reservation (gift link).

The deadline to apply to grow & process industrial hemp this summer is April 30 (Minnesota Department of Agriculture).

A lawsuit accusing Minnesota-based Vireo Health of racial and sexual discrimination went to trial this week in Hennepin County District Court, reported Nuggets.

MN-OCM licensed a fourth testing facility last week, True North Analytical in Roseville.

MN-OCM announced recipients of CanGrow grant funding, including to two good friends of this newsletter: the Minnesota Cannabis College and Oaksterdam University! Also announced: applications are due by June 1 for the next round of funding. These grants are made to eligible organizations who then will provide educational resources, guidance, and low-interest loans for farmers who want to be part of the legal cannabis industry. (See info from Oaksterdam below)

MN-OCM has released an updated list of cannabis and lower-potency hemp edible license holders; it is downloadable here (updated April 13, 2026).

LPHE licenses from the October application period have all been processed, and the window was re-opened for new licenses on April 1. Data from OCM:

Jen's take: This data from OCM shows they denied a significant portion of the LPHE applications - fully 20% of the manufacturing and wholesale apps. Fortunately, since the window is open again for LPHE licenses, applicants can correct their applications and try again.

Let's check in on how cannabis licensing is proceeding! From OCM , updated 4/3/26:

Jen's take: Remember that licensed microbusinesses could be operating under an endorsement(s) as retail, cultivation, or manufacturing. These charts together show us that while most of the earliest micros are opening as retailers, there are also a substantial number of licensed cultivators coming online, mostly micros.

This matches what I am seeing in the market: this spring we have a rush of independent retailers getting open and in search of flower to sell, and also a number of cultivators getting licensed. Since newly-licensed cultivators can take advantage of bringing in plants within the first 30 days after licensure, the time to harvest will be less than the full cannabis lifecycle. We're also seeing cultivators working hard to get licensed in time to take advantage of Minnesota's outdoor growing season - a window that is closing rapidly.

Need advice on getting through licensing or are newly licensed and finding your footing? Grab a free 15 minute meeting with me here.

Oaksterdam selected to train Minnesota farmers

The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced that Oaksterdam University has been selected to administer the state’s CanGrow grant program to help farmers enter or expand into the cannabis industry.

Oaksterdam will support up to 15 Minnesota cannabis farmers in developing and maintaining cultivation plans. This is more than a requirement—it is a roadmap for business development and implementing SOPs that increase efficiencies, reduce waste, and help the business stay compliant. We pair our industry-recognized Horticulture Mastery Certification with one-on-one coaching from our Chair of Horticulture, Joey Ereñeta, and Minnesota attorney and cannabis business consultant, Jen Randolph Reise.

Do you know a farmer in Minnesota who may be interested and qualify? Reach out to [email protected] to let us know!

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OTHER CANNABIS NEWS

Federal

The Medicare pilot program to cover some hemp-derived CBD products has officially launched.

Lit Alerts is tracking the continued price compression in East Coast markets. Cultivated reports that the general trend, as expected, is one of stabilization at lower price points, though Massachusetts is the budget leader and continued to decline heading into the 4/20 holiday.

Around the States

Oregon: Gov. Tina Kotek has signed HB 4142, requiring hospices, palliative care facilities, and residential health organizations to develop policies allowing registered medical cannabis patients with debilitating medical conditions to use cannabis on-site. It's effective 1-1-27.

Jen's take: I didn't realize this was not already law in Oregon, where cannabis has been legal for so long, and I'm surprised how restrictive it still is- for example, it does not apply to hospitals.

Texas: Hemp industry stakeholders got a (temporary) win last week, when a Texas judge granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) and ordered that smokable THC-A hemp products can be sold again in the state, at least until the next hearing in a lawsuit challenging the ban on April 23.

Virginia: Gov. Abigail Spanberger proposed amendments to legislation that would establish a retail marijuana market in Virginia, including a six-month delay in market launch. Advocates had supported a delay, saying, “On Jan. 1, the only people that will be ready are the operators that are able to convert [from medical licenses] and they are all out-of-state operators and large corporations,” Higgs Wise said. “They get many benefits that Virginia independent businesses do not”. The governor's amendments also include increases in criminal penalties.

Confidential Industry Classifieds

Seeking Outdoor Growing Space
Do you have property in a cannabis-friendly community that you are interested in leasing to licensed cultivators? Contact Jen at [email protected] to be put in contact with potential tenant seeking to lease 3-5 acres to grow outdoors. Ideally western metro / within an hour out.

Guest Blog: Navigating MN’s Employee Right-to-Know in the Cannabis Garden

By Cathy Hovde of Resilient EHS

If you are operating a cannabis business in Minnesota, you probably know you need a "Safety Data Sheet binder." But under the Minnesota Employee Right-to-Know (ERTK) Act, simply having a binder on a shelf isn't enough to stay compliant.

One of the most common "low-hanging fruit" MN OSHA citations for small businesses isn't the lack of a binder,  it’s the lack of a written program and annual training that specifically addresses the hazards unique to our industry.

READ MORE HERE →

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