OCM will accept applications for cannabis event organizer licenses and cannabis testing facility licenses beginning August 1. Applications for these two license types will be accepted on an ongoing, rolling basis.
Disclaimer: The information provided below is solely intended to provide a general overview of permitted activities under the various license types and is not exhaustive. Application fees, initial licensing fees, and renewal licensing fees are nonrefundable.
*Denotes a license type that has a limit or a cap to the number of licenses available.
The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management is not accepting applications for this license type at this time.
Cannabis microbusinesses can grow, make, sell, and buy cannabis (including plants and seedlings), lower-potency hemp edibles, and hemp-derived consumer products. They can also have on-site lounges where customers can use cannabis.
Activities and products allowed:
Can operate: A single retail location. Can allow on-site consumption on a portion of its premises where customers can consume edible cannabis products and lower-potency hemp edibles.
Can grow: Up to 5,000 square feet of plant canopy indoors or up to one-half acre of mature flowering plants outdoors.
Can transport: Between facilities under same license holder.
Can sell: Immature cannabis plants and seedlings, adult-use cannabis flower, adult-use cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, hemp-derived consumer products, and other products authorized by law to other cannabis businesses and customers.
The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management is not accepting applications for this license type at this time.
Cannabis mezzobusinesses can grow, make, sell, and buy cannabis (including plants and seedlings), lower-potency hemp edibles, and hemp-derived consumer products.
Activities and products allowed:
Can operate: Up to three retail locations.
Can grow: Up to 15,000 square feet of plant canopy indoors or up to one acre of mature flowering plants outdoors.
Can transport: Between facilities under same license holder.
Can sell: Immature cannabis plants and seedlings, adult-use cannabis flower, adult-use cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, hemp-derived consumer products, and other products authorized by law to other cannabis businesses and customers.
The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management is not accepting applications for this license type at this time.
Cannabis cultivators can grow cannabis plants from seed to maturity. Cultivators are allowed to harvest, package, and label cannabis flower, seedlings and immature cannabis plants for sale to other cannabis business.
Activities and products allowed:
Can grow: Up to 30,000 square feet of plant canopy indoors or up to two acres of mature flowering plants outdoors.
Can sell: Immature cannabis plants, seedlings, and cannabis flower to other cannabis businesses.
Endorsements available:
Medical cannabis cultivation
Additional licenses available (may be held simultaneously):
The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management is not accepting applications for this license type at this time.
Cannabis manufacturers process cannabis and hemp materials into various products, such as edibles, concentrates, wax, oils, and tinctures. Manufacturers can buy cannabis flowers, cannabis products, and lower-potency hemp products from other cannabis businesses.
They can purchase hemp plants and concentrates from hemp businesses licensed under chapter 18K. They turn these materials into cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, and hemp-derived consumer products then package and sell them to other cannabis businesses.
Activities and products allowed:
Can transport: From cultivation site to manufacturing site on same premises under same license holder.
Can sell: Cannabis concentrate, hemp concentrate, artificially derived cannabinoids, cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, and hemp-derived consumer products to other cannabis businesses.
Endorsements available:
Medical cannabis cultivation
Edible cannabinoid product handler
Additional licenses available (may be held simultaneously):
The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management is not accepting applications for this license type at this time.
Cannabis retailers can sell packaged cannabis products to the general public and medical patients. They can buy cannabis (including plants and seedlings), lower-potency hemp edibles, and hemp-derived consumer products from other cannabis businesses and sell them to customers.
Can operate: Up to five retail locations; however, no person, cooperative, or business may hold a license to own or operate more than one cannabis retail business in one city and three retail businesses in one county.
Can sell: Immature cannabis plants and seedlings, adult-use cannabis flower, adult-use cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, hemp-derived consumer products, and other products authorized by law to adults over 21 years of age and registered medical patients.
Endorsement available:
Medical cannabis retailer
Additional licenses available (may be held simultaneously):
Cannabis event organizer
Cannabis delivery service
Municipal cannabis stores:
Cities or counties wishing to operate a single municipal cannabis store should apply for a retailer license during the application window for retailer licenses. Municipal retailer licenses are not subject to a lottery.
The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management is not accepting applications for this license type at this time.
Cannabis wholesalers can buy cannabis, cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, and hemp-derived consumer products from cannabis businesses and then sell them to other cannabis business. They can import hemp-derived consumer products and lower-potency hemp edibles that contain hemp concentrate or artificially derived cannabinoids.
Activities and products allowed:
Can sell: Immature cannabis plants and seedlings, cannabis flower, cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, and hemp-derived consumer products to cannabis microbusinesses, cannabis mezzobusinesses, cannabis manufacturers, cannabis retailers; lower-potency hemp edibles to lower-potency hemp edible retailers.
Endorsements available:
Hemp-derived product importer
Edible cannabinoid product handler
Additional licenses available (may be held simultaneously):
The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management is not accepting applications for this license type at this time.
Cannabis transporters can move cannabis, cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, and hemp-derived consumer products between businesses.
Activities and products allowed:
Can transport: Immature cannabis plants and seedlings, cannabis flower, cannabis products, artificially derived cannabinoids, hemp plant parts, hemp concentrate, lower-potency hemp edibles, and hemp-derived consumer products.
Can transport from: Cannabis microbusinesses, cannabis mezzobusinesses, cannabis cultivators, cannabis manufacturers, cannabis wholesalers, lower-potency hemp manufacturers, and industrial hemp growers.
Can transport to: Cannabis microbusinesses, cannabis mezzobusinesses, cannabis manufacturers, cannabis testing facilities, cannabis wholesalers, cannabis retailers, lower-potency hemp edible retailers, and medical combination businesses.
Endorsements available: None available.
Additional licenses available (may be held simultaneously):
Cannabis testing facilities can obtain and test immature cannabis plants and seedlings, cannabis flower, cannabis products, hemp plant parts, hemp concentrate, artificially derived cannabinoids, lower-potency hemp edibles, and hemp-derived consumer products from businesses licensed to produce those items. They ensure these products meet safety standards.
The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management will accept applications for cannabis testing facilities on an ongoing basis beginning August 1, 2025.
Note that changes in state statute approved during the 2025 Minnesota legislative session established a license variance process for cannabis testing facility applicants in order to address potential bottlenecks in testing capacity. The change allows applicants to obtain a license while pending accreditation by the International Standards Organization (ISO).
Activities and products allowed: No operating, growing, transporting, or selling activities allowed.
Endorsements available: None available.
Additional license available (may be held simultaneously): None available.
The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management is not accepting applications for this license type at this time.
A cannabis delivery service can deliver purchased cannabis, lower-potency hemp edibles, and hemp-derived consumer products from specific cannabis businesses directly to consumers.
Activities and products allowed:
Can deliver: Cannabis flower, cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, and hemp-derived consumer products.
Endorsements available: None available.
Additional licenses available (may be held simultaneously):
Cannabis event organizers can plan and host events featuring cannabis, and may allow for the sale of cannabis, cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, and hemp-derived consumer products to consumers by licensed cannabis retailers or licensed mezzobusinesses/microbusinesses with a retail operations endorsement at events like festivals (an event cannot last more than four days). They can also provide spaces for consumers to use cannabis.
This license is temporary and must be obtained separately for each event. All cannabis event activities require local approval, including but not limited to, any permits or licenses required by the applicable local unit of government and specific approval of on-site consumption areas. Distinct from other cannabis business licensing, event organizers must obtain local approval before submitting an application for an event license to the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM).
The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management will accept applications for cannabis event organizers on an ongoing basis beginning August 1, 2025.
Activities and products allowed:
Can plan and host: Temporary cannabis-related events in Minnesota. These events require local approval, are strictly limited to ages 21 and older, and may not include the sale or consumption of alcohol. Cannabis events may feature the on-site sale and use of adult-use cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, and hemp-derived consumer products. Event organizers may host multiday events, provided that the event does not exceed four consecutive days in duration.
Can allow: Organizers may designate areas for on-site cannabis consumption and allow for the sale of cannabis plants, adult-use cannabis flower, cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, and hemp-derived consumer products by licensed cannabis retailers, licensed microbusinesses or mezzobusinesses with a retail operations endorsement, licensed medical cannabis combination businesses operating a retail location, or a licensed lower-potency hemp edible (LPHE) retailer – if requirements for applicable notices and sample size limitations are met.
Endorsements available: None available.
Additional licenses available (may be held simultaneously):
The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management is not accepting applications for this license type at this time.
Lower-potency hemp edible manufacturers can produce edibles from hemp. These manufacturers can create, package, and label lower-potency hemp edibles, and sell them to cannabis and hemp businesses. This license type cannot hold any cannabis business licenses.
Activities and products allowed:
Can sell: Hemp concentrate, artificially derived cannabinoids, and lower-potency hemp edibles to other cannabis businesses and hemp businesses.
Endorsements available:
Extraction and concentration
Edible cannabinoid product handler
Hemp product exporter
Additional licenses available (may be held simultaneously):
The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management is not accepting applications for this license type at this time.
Lower-potency hemp edible retailers can sell packaged lower-potency hemp edibles to consumers aged 21 years of age and older. Lower-potency hemp edible retailers may deliver lower-potency hemp edibles to consumers 21 years of age and older with applicable endorsement.
Note: If operating a retail location under the retailer endorsement, must also have local registration per Minnesota Statutes, section 342.22.
Activities and products allowed:
Can sell: Lower-potency hemp edibles (including beverages) and offer on-site consumption of lower-potency hemp edibles on a portion of its premises.
Can sell: Lower-potency hemp edibles to adults 21 years of age or older.
The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management is not accepting applications for this license type at this time.
Lower-potency hemp edible wholesalers can buy lower-potency hemp edibles from specified cannabis and hemp businesses and sell lower-potency hemp edibles to specified cannabis and hemp businesses. They can transport and import lower-potency hemp edibles with applicable endorsements.
Note: A lower-potency hemp edible wholesaler must own or lease warehouse or office space within the state.
Activities and products allowed:
Can sell: Lower-potency hemp edibles to specified cannabis and hemp businesses.
Endorsements available:
Transporter
Lower-potency hemp edible importer
Hemp product exporter
Additional licenses available (may be held simultaneously):
The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management is not accepting applications for this license type at this time.
Medical cannabis combination businesses can grow medical and adult-use cannabis (subject to law); manufacture medical and adult-use cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, and hemp-derived consumer products; package and label those products; and purchase immature cannabis plants and seedlings, cannabis flower, cannabis products, hemp concentrate, and artificially derived cannabinoids from businesses licensed to sell those products.
They can also transport adult-use cannabis and medical cannabis products to other cannabis and hemp businesses and deliver medical cannabis products to patients.
Activities and products allowed:
Can operate: One retail location per congressional district and must offer medical cannabis at each location.
Can grow: Up to 60,000 square feet of medical cannabis plant canopy, and up to an additional 30,000 square feet of cannabis plant canopy for distribution into the adult-use market based on prior year medical sales assessed annually.
Can transport: Between facilities under same license holder.
Can sell: Medical cannabis flower and medical cannabinoid products to persons registered on the medical registry, their caregivers, parents, guardians or spouse; immature cannabis plants and seedlings, adult-use cannabis flower, adult-use cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, hemp-derived consumer products, and other products authorized by law to other cannabis businesses and customers.
Endorsements available: None available.
Additional licenses available: None available.
Cost:
Application fee: $10,000
Initial license fee: $20,000
Renewal license fee: $70,000
Applicants with Disabilities
The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) complies with all applicable anti-discrimination law, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). OCM provides reasonable accommodations to licensing applicants with qualified disabilities on a case-by-case basis. If you have a disability and need assistance with the licensing application process, call ADA Coordinator, Kara Shand, at 651-539-5844 or email kara.shand@state.mn.us and let us know the support you need.
