Listening Tour 2026
Connecting with community
The listening tour is designed to provide the general public with an overview of the OCM’s work and explain how the office regulates the cannabis industry in Minnesota. Most importantly, the event will allow our office to answer questions and gain valuable insights from local communities across the state.
What to expect
- An overview of the role of OCM
- A regulatory and cannabis market update
- Q&A session with the OCM staff and executive director
Who should attend
Everyone! The listening tour is a great opportunity to learn more about the current state of the cannabis market or to ask any cannabis-related questions you have been curious about!
Upcoming tour stops
Moorhead
We are planning to host additional events, including Rochester and the Twin Cities in October. We’ll post updates on this page as details are set.
Past tour stops
March 13 | Pine County and Duluth
In March, OCM kicked off its statewide listening tour to engage community members in meaningful, face-to-face discussions about the state’s growing adult-use cannabis market and medical cannabis program. OCM staff met with Pine County officials, members of the Fond Du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, a reporter from WCMP-FM and several cannabis retail dispensaries in Cloquet and Duluth. On the second day of the tour, Executive Director Taubel and OCM government relations staff met with a local legislator. Unfortunately, inclement weather forced Lake Superior College to close their campus for the day and the planned Connecting with Community Listening Tour public event was rescheduled. For the full story, check out the March edition of Cannabis Insider.
June 3-5 | Bemidji & Duluth
In June, OCM attended its second stop on the listening tour. The three-day program started in Bemidji, where the OCM team met with city staff to review how local governments and OCM can continue to work together as we move to implement the emerging cannabis industry. The team visited a local dispensary, Coconut Cannabis, to learn more about their experience getting a license and to understand the challenges they're facing as a microbusiness. On the second day of the tour, the team hosted the Community Listening Tour public event, where attendees could ask Executive Director Taubel questions directly about the cannabis industry. The team ended the tour by revisiting Duluth to host the public event that had previously been canceled due to inclement weather.
June 11-12 | St. Cloud
OCM hosted its third stop on the listening tour in St. Cloud in early July. On the first day, Executive Director Taubel and OCM staff met with the city’s planning department to learn more about St. Cloud’s approach to economic development and how cannabis businesses fit into it. Additionally, they discussed opportunities for collaboration between the city and the office. The following day, OCM hosted its public listening event, where attendees asked questions about local ordinances, the federal hemp ban and resources available to microbusinesses.
July 30 | Mankato
The fourth stop on the Listening Tour took place in Mankato, where OCM staff began the day by visiting Island Pezi, the first off-reservation dispensary operated by the Prairie Island Indian Community. The team also visited Voyager Cannabis Co. to learn more about the owners’ experience accessing the vertical integration opportunities available through the microbusiness license. Later that evening, OCM hosted the public listening event, where attendees asked a wide array of questions ranging from public health to additional information about craft cultivation.
Do you need assistance?
If you have any questions not answered above, please contact customer service via the Contact Us webpage.
The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management is committed to ensuring access and inclusion for all participants. Individuals who need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event should visit our ADA webpage to make a request as soon as possible, or no later than 48 hours before the event. Requests received with less notice will be considered to the extent feasible.