Today’s special newsletter brings you an overview of Minnesota’s license application for the round open Feb. 18-March 14. This is a brief window - so if you want to open a cannabis business in Minnesota, and have not yet applied, it is time to devote some serious energy to getting a complete and qualified application done.

I’m here to help.

Layle and I spent the long weekend digesting the application and we’re sharing our insights on a webinar on Wednesday (Feb. 19) at noon. Register here now and you’ll get the replay, even if you can’t attend live.

I’m charging $50/seat for this one as I explore ways to spread the value of my & Layle’s time across many people who want our expertise. My goal has always been to help a lot of people, even if just a little. So while this newsletter will remain free, you’ll see me rolling out various paid offerings to help small businesses succeed in Minnesota’s cannabis industry. I want to help you avoid unnecessary frustration and wasted time, so you can feel confident that you are submitting a complete, qualified application and getting one step closer to opening your cannabis business. Last round, I saw a lot of people start out very confident and then spend the entire last weekend trying to get the app done - and a number of those people made paperwork errors which cost them dearly. Secure your spot now and move forward with confidence.

Alternatively, Layle and I have a few more slots available for full-service application clients, but only until Friday (2/21). While it is an investment—$22,500 for VIP and $18,500 for Standard—both include Layle’s top-tier SOPs and compliance best practices. If you want to take the paperwork off your plate as much as possible and focus on building your business, book a time to chat with me here this week.

Now: on to the application!

MN-OCM Update: Form of Application Available; License Window Opens Tomorrow!

The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has released the form of application to become a licensed cannabis business in Minnesota. It will accept applications Feb. 18 - March 14, so this is a crucial time for those who wish to obtain licenses to sell, manufacture, and/or grow cannabis commercially to prepare and submit an application.

Key Links:
Main licensing page;

Application Review and Qualifications Guidance (Overview of application requirements and process, and then a detailed rubric for each section of the app);

The licenses available in this round are listed below. Notice that:

• “No limit” on microbusinesses means that every microbusiness application which OCM deems complete and qualified will be allowed to move on to the next step towards opening a business;

• The categories with limits mean that the applications in that category which OCM deems complete and qualified will move to a dual lottery, with a set number of social equity applicants drawn first.

• Event licenses and the licenses for hemp-derived retailers and manufacturers are not in this round, and will be conducted as a later process.

So what does the application consist of?

It’s a series of fillable PDFs with questions about the business that you will conduct. All the license types will submit most of the forms, but then there are different Operation Plans for the different license types.

Here’s an example: the highlighted sections are the ones you would need to submit if you are applying to be a micro that wants to do retail and cultivate:

In addition, there are other materials to submit:

You do NOT need to have identified a property in order to apply.

What are the post-application steps in order to be able to open?

In the materials just released, OCM has clarified that after your application is approved by OCM, you’ll have 18 months to identify and secure a property. Then, you’ll update your plans and provide final SOPs accordingly for OCM.

Additional later steps are:

• zoning compliance certification from your municipality;

• site inspection by OCM;

• paying the license fee; and

• retail registration from your municipality, if you are a retailer.

  These later steps are laid out in OCM’s new Qualified Applicant Guide. Only then are you a licensee who can grow, manufacture, or sell cannabis under Minnesota law.

A final gut punch in OCM’s materials:

We’ll have much more to share on Wednesday, including our advice on where to start and how to get this complicated pile of questions done by March 14. Hope to see you then!

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