What is commercial cannabis cultivation and processing?

Cannabis cultivation is the process of growing cannabis within a regulated environment for the consumption via a medical or adult-use cannabis program. Generally cultivation refers to the agricultural activities associated with the propagation and growing of cannabis. Cannabis processing is when you manufacture finished cannabis products, packaging of dried flowers or manufacture and package cannabis-based products (i.e. extracts, edibles, and topicals). To be able to produce cannabis and cannabis derived products commercially a specific license is required, requirements depend on the state in which you are locating this business.

How much will I need to spend for a cannabis cultivation license and facility?

The fees for a cannabis cultivation license vary greatly depending on the state in which the facility is to be located. Also facility build out costs vary greatly depending on the type of cannabis cultivation facility (indoor, mixed-light green house, outdoor). Depending on the facility type a cultivation facility can range from 2 million to 20 million dollars.

What agency oversees and regulates Minnesota’s medical cannabis program?

The Minnesota Department of Health is responsible for the oversight, regulation, and enforcement of its Medical Cannabis program.

Can licensed hemp growers convert to be a medical cannabis manufacturer?

Current law in Minnesota limits the number of medical cannabis manufacturers in the state to two. Minnesota medical cannabis manufacturers are required to grow, process, and distribute cannabis to registered patients. Until an expansion of the program or the adoption of adult-use cannabis the Minnesota Department of Health will not issue additional licenses.

How many dispensaries are currently in Minnesota?

Currently there are 12 dispensaries in Minnesota, all 12 are operated by one of the two licensed cannabis manufacturers.

Are edible allowed in Minnesota’s medical cannabis program?

As of August 2022, Minnesota allows edibles in the form of gummies or chews that can be sold to registered medical patients and purchased at a licensed dispensary.

Minnesota Cannabis License Solutions

Governor Tim Walz signed the adult-use cannabis bill into law on May 30, 2003. The office will develop the regulatory framework over the coming months, and we anticipate that it will release the rules by January 2024, with retail sales to begin in the first quarter of 2025. The Minnesota Cannabis License Experts experienced team will help you to get your Minnesota cannabis license faster and with an unmatched success rate. Having to repeat your Minnesota cannabis license application process will set your business back by months and significantly impact your earnings potential. We’ll help you navigate the Minnesota cannabis license market and help you on your path to a Minnesota cannabis license and much more by booking your free consultation today.

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Minnesota cannabis license - Market Overview

In 2014 Minnesota signed into legislation SF2470 which effectively legalized Medical Cannabis and was known as the Medical Cannabis Therapeutic Use Act. Under the passed legislation, several limitations were seen as unique and over-governed, this includes prohibiting patients from using flower or cannabis in its natural form, only having one state licensed manufacture, and creating extremely cost intensive studies for the program. In 2021, the state finally amended the legislation to allow flower, currently the regulations have not been developed for this and patients cannot access flower through Minnesota cannabis licensed dispensaries yet. Due to the restrictive nature of Minnesota’s medical cannabis program, most manufacturers have been struggling to thrive in this limited market. In January of 2022, Governor Walz included an adult-use cannabis legislation proposal in his proposed state budget. It is likely that the expansion of medical cannabis will coincide with adult-use legalization.

Book a free consultation today to learn more about how the Minnesota Cannabis License Experts can assist you and your team with opening a cannabis dispensary and getting your Minnesota cannabis license.

Minnesota cannabis license - Licensing Requirements, Timelines, and Selection

Minnesota, despite legalizing medical cannabis fairly early still has a very restrictive medical cannabis program in comparison to most states. The state issued two manufacturer licenses at the launch of the program through a highly competitive application process and have not issued any additional licenses to date. The Minnesota cannabis manufacturer license requires that licensee’s engage in the cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, and retail sale of cannabis products. The state recently passed a bill to now include raw cannabis flower however the regulations around the dispensing of this have yet to be drafted. Due to the limited access for patients as well as low patient numbers, the cannabis industry in Minnesota has not yet had the opportunity to blossom into the industry that it could be within the state.

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Matthew Caton Yield Cannab

Canna License Experts, and their team were retained by our company to help us along the way with a retail canna license. Brian Wolf along with Kalpna Mistry and their team of experts were there the entire way through the process. Thanks again to Brian and Kalpna for all you support from our family at YIELD Cannab Co.

Lin Yan GMLL Pharma

We have contacted a few licensing company before I decided to contact with Canna licensing Experts. So far I think I have made the right choice and I am happy with the work they have done for us. The team answer questions promptly and never leave us alone. Not to mention their charge are reasonable comparing the similar type of consulting company and quality of their job.

Joseph Dow Dow Testing Labs

Brian and Kalpna at Cannabis License Experts were very pleasant, informative, and knowledgeable regarding licensing. They helped us fill out all the forms needed and guided us through the entire process. I am sure that without their guidance our application would still be in process, or have been dismissed because of some missing information.

Minnesota Medical Cannabis Patient Numbers

Minnesota cannabis Licensed Manufacturers in Minnesota

Basic Demographic Information
Resources include the US Census Bureau, City-Data.com, and any additional relevant resources.
Total # of Counties	87
Total # of Cities/Towns	803
County population in 2019	429,606

Minneapolis

Median Age

$66K

Medial Income

282K

Median Home Price

$1,068/Month

Fair Market Rent

Minnesota Cannabis Business Climate

Overall, the majority of the state has embraced the formal legalization of cannabis for medical use and the state is leaning towards legalization of adult-use. Currently licenses are not being issued and some expansion to the program must happen to trigger a new Minnesota cannabis license application period. That being said with the likelihood of adult-use legalization, now is a good time to start planning. Minnesota ranked quite high as a state with opportunities for businesses. Overall, Minnesota has a lot of potential as it is currently an underserved market.

Minnesota cannabis license - Financial Requirements

Many States and local jurisdictions require a certain level of liquidity, cash on hand, and /or CPA and/or Bank letters to ensure that Minnesota cannabis license applicants have the financial wherewithal from the Minnesota cannabis licensing process through to the initial 2-5 years of operations. Commonly a 3-5 year Financial Pro Forma is also required. Financial requirements typically include a minimum amount of liquid cash on hand and/or CPA letter. This is common for most jurisdictions as a mandatory part of the Minnesota cannabis license application. General minimum Minnesota cannabis license requirements for applications is a 2-3 year Pro Forma. Due to Minnesota’s limited Minnesota cannabis license numbers and the requirements to open multiple facilities, the barrier to entry for Minnesota’s current program is very high and capital extensive.

Real Estate & Zoning

Consideration for regional and local zoning with regard to allowed proximity to certain business types, schools, and other prohibited areas should be researched according to local and municipal rules. Possession of real estate is often a Minnesota cannabis license requirement for licensing prior to application submission.

Minnesota Regulations require that medical cannabis facilities be located at least 1,000 feet from schools.

For more information on the Minnesota cannabis licenses available, Minnesota cannabis licensees, dispensary prices and how to obtain your Minnesota cannabis license faster book your FREE consultation.

https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/cannabis/

St. Paul

Median Age

$63K

Medical Income

231K

Median Home Price

$1,001M

Fair Market Rent

308,096

Country Population in 2019

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When you partner with CLE, you are able to leverage our proven knowledge and best industry resources to provide you a complete Cannabis Business Solution.

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Looking to apply for a Minnesota Cannabis License and unsure where to start?

Two Minnesota cannabis licenses were issued at the beginning of its program and but the state is yet to expand licensing. It is anticipated that this expansion will come through the legalization of adult-use cannabis. Before the issuance of this expansion, teams who are serious about approaching this process should develop their internal structure and build out their business plans. Our team at Cannabis License Experts can assist in this early development phase all the way through the final Minnesota Cannabis License application, setting your team up for success.

In order to get started, reach out to one of our regulatory experts today to learn more about Cannabis Business Solutions.