This week saw a number of marijuana-related developments out of Minnesota, including a proposal from regulators to authorize temporary licenses in order to get an adult-use retail market off the ground with a focus on equity and a request from the state’s Department of Natural Resources to clarify rules around cannabis consumption on public lands.
The state, which legalized marijuana through the legislature in May of last year, is gearing up to accept license applications from would-be operators and launch legal sales sometime in 2025.
The new temporary licensing bill—SF 4782, officially introduced on Thursday—is part of regulators’ efforts to launch regulated sales as early as possible next year. Under the proposal, temporary licenses—including up to 50 for retail businesses—would become available to qualifying social equity applicants. Those include military veterans, residents from low-income areas, people with past cannabis convictions and farmers facing hardships.
Regulators at the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) have spent much of the year outlining proposed changes to the state’s marijuana law, including to adjust rules around equity and speed the issuance of licenses. The office’s latest summary of legislative proposals for 2024 includes plans to strengthen social equity, create temporary licenses, speed the licensing process,
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