How many licensees are open in Minnesota?

MN CANNABIS UPDATES

Minnesota Market Update
I did a deep dive into the available data about Minnesota’s open dispensaries, licenses granted, and licenses in the pipeline.

TL;DR: If we think about this as a marathon, we have a few people who have crossed the finish line, and a huge number more between mile 20 and mile 26!

READ MORE HERE →

Legislature: The Star Tribune's Nuggets newsletter did a nice rundown of all of the cannabis and psychedelics bills introduced so far in the Minnesota Legislature. Read it here.

Big Tribal Opening: The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community plans to open a cannabis dispensary called Flame and Flora on tribal land near Mystic Lake Casino this spring.

Jen’s take: I wonder if they will have a consumption lounge with indoor cannabis smoking! There is no OCM consumption lounge license that includes indoor smoking; Minnesota’s very strong Clean Air Act has few exceptions but one of them is “on tribal land.” So I’m hoping the tribes will take this opportunity.

Easing the testing bottleneck!
I am aware of two testing labs opening soon:

• Fargo-based Adams Independent Testing, now a hemp THC lab, is working to open a cannabis testing facility as soon as early April in Moorhead, MN, reports the Star Tribune.

• AYA Labs expects to open during March, and I got a tour of their beautiful facility in Oakdale!

Background Checks for Employees
Licensees, take note: OCM is requiring all employees of licensed businesses to go through fingerprinting and background checks with MN’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), rather than using third-party background check services (as was OK before). Effective March 1. Read more here.

OCM Enforcement Complaint Reporting Form
I had a conversation with OCM leaders recently where I asked about their interest in investigating violations of true party in interest (TPII) and predatory actions against social equity licensees.

They said, YES, we are very interested in investigating, and we have broad investigative powers. And the best way to get us to look into something is to file a complaint with OCM here.

Spring Cohort Open Until March 20
The North Star Accelerator Program is launching a Spring Cohort to help small licensees launch compliant and profitable businesses, building on the success of its fall cohort!

Who is a good fit for the North Star Accelerator Program?

• Entrepreneurs and small teams

• Preliminarily approved or just-opened licensees in the state of MN

• Micro, mezzo, retail, cultivation, transport, or delivery businesses

• Who are seeking certainty on compliance and business setup issues

• Who want a network of vetted professionals who can help them open their doors

• Ready to learn together with a closed group of other small cannabis business owners, with no jerks or MSOs

If that's you, you can sign up here to join us. Or click here to take advantage of our Spring Cohort Special - a $750 value for only $450.

Have more questions? Shoot me an email at [email protected] and we can set up a free 15 min to talk about it.

And remember, we only ask for a 4-week commitment. If you're not feeling the value of the guidance, community, referrals and discounts, you can unsubscribe right from your member portal.

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Guest Blog: From Exits to Eyewash - Core Emergency-Response Practices for Cannabis Industry

By Cathy Hovde of Resilient EHS

A strong emergency response plan is one of the most important, and most overlooked, foundations of a safe cannabis operation. Whether you’re running a cultivation facility, a processing lab, or a retail dispensary, planning ahead protects workers, preserves product, and keeps you aligned with both Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) and Federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration
(OSHA) requirements.

Cannabis facilities combine agricultural, laboratory, and manufacturing environments—meaning your emergency response plan must account for diverse hazards: flammable solvents, corrosive pH adjusters, high-heat equipment, electrical loads, and dense plant material that can obstruct exits if not managed well. OSHA’s emergency planning requirements apply regardless of industry, but cannabis operations benefit from tailoring them to their unique workflows and materials.

READ MORE HERE →

OTHER CANNABIS NEWS

National
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments yesterday in a case about gun rights for cannabis users, U.S. v. Hemani. Cultivated reports that this case has aligned strange bedfellows: "The American Civil Liberties Union, NORML, and the National Rifle Association are all on the same page, each filing supporting testimony in favor of striking any gun rights laws based on the use of cannabis." And Justice Gorsuch looked to the Founding Father's intoxication norms as the court considered the federal law that prohibits the possession of firearms for any "unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance," in the context of the Supreme Court's 2022 Buen decision, where the court said that modern gun restrictions must align with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.

Cultivated notes, "Despite the bench’s tone, it is not always a clear indicator about how Justices will vote based on their demeanor during oral arguments. There is also no guaranteed speed for opinions to be issued, though most come out a few months after oral arguments. " GreenState also had a helpful article.

GreenState reported on industry insiders' takes at IgniteIt Market Spotlight on when federal rescheduling might actually move. Some industry leaders cited September as an opportune time.

The latest wave of Trump's tariffs has introduced a new layer of volatility throughout the cannabis supply chain, from vape hardware and cultivation equipment to packaging, says MJBizDaily.

A recent study found that cannabis use by U.S. teenagers has declined from 1999 to 2023. The research is evidence that legalization reforms do not lead to increased underage consumption — as is often argued by prohibitionists — but that the opposite may be true: that a regulatory approach with ID checks and licensed businesses can actually help keep cannabis away from children and teens.

International

Uruguay is evaluating allowing visitors to buy marijuana in its regulated market, reports MMDaily.

Jen’s take: Uruguay was the first country in the world to legalize cannabis, and has long been on my travel bucket list.

Around the States

Colorado: Denver, CO city officials fined Tetra Lounge, Denver's first cannabis hospitality establishment licensee, $10,000 over alleged consumption violations. Under the rules for hospitality licensees, patrons are only allowed to smoke cannabis that they bring with them into the establishment, and on-site sales are prohibited. Tetra was accused last year of allowing illegal cannabis product sampling and sales at events on 4/20 and 7/10.

Nebraska: The Omaha tribe continues to move forward with medical marijuana on tribal land, despite pushback from the state of Nebraska. Gov. Jim Pillen has held up negotiations on a tobacco tax compact due to his opposition to medical and recreational marijuana on tribal land. More from Nebraska Public Media.

Missouri: Cannabis regulators have proposed rules to give regulators more power to penalize bad actors in the industry, as well as to streamline the process for ownership changes, allow publicly traded companies to own cannabis licenses, and establish recall procedures of marijuana products containing unregulated THC.

In spite of the looming federal hemp ban, several states are moving to liberalize the sales of hemp THC drinks, following MN's lead:

Kentucky: A proposal in the Kentucky Senate would expand the sale of hemp THC-infused beverages at bars, restaurants, fairs, and festivals, under a licensing process managed by the Department for Public Health. Currently, hemp-derived THC beverages are available for sale in Kentucky only in licensed liquor stores and online.

Note from Jen: I met a KY regulator at the Lucky Leaf Education Day! He asked me and other speakers for our perspective on how regulators can handle the transition from a medical-only state to an adult-use state. Bryant Jones and I had lots to say!

New York: A proposal in New York would allow sales of hemp THC beverages at liquor stores, up to 5 mg, under a permitting system.

On the other hand, the Missouri House passed a bill to ban hemp-derived THC sales in Missouri.

Michigan: A proposal in the state Senate seeks to repeal the 24% wholesale tax on cannabis passed last year in MI. That wholesale tax is in addition to Michigan's 10% excise tax on retail sales.

Virginia: Medical dispensaries sold $15.08 million in medical cannabis products in January, according to the Cannabis Control Board’s newly launched dashboard. Flower remains the most popular product, comprising $6.55 million in sales, with approximately $5 million in concentrates and around $2.5 million in edibles.

2026 Corporate To-Dos

Renew your LLC for 2026 (and 2025, while we are still in the grace period, if you haven’t yet). It’s free, but you must log in to the Minnesota Secretary of State site and do so to avoid your LLC being administratively dissolved. Check your status at Business Filings Online. If Inactive, your entity can be reinstated online; read How to reinstate your business filing

Been considering becoming an S-Corp in 2026? The deadline is March 16, 2026. I’ve been using the service Collective to file S-Corp paperwork, do my accounting and invoicing, and now do my taxes. You can use my referral code to get a free month!

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