SAINT PAUL — Retail sales for Minnesota’s legal recreational cannabis market are tracked for early next year. But some activists who sought to change the law and others who want to cash in on cannabis worry that there won’t be enough supply to meet high demand unless state regulators allow for early cultivation.
The process— from establishing a growing facility, to planting seeds and then finally to store shelves for sale— can take up to a year, said Jason Tarasek, an attorney specializing in cannabis at Vicente LLP. Right now, businesses would need to get a state license in order to get off the ground and the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management is in the midst of setting rules for implementation, which could take awhile.
The fear from prospective business owners is that waiting until that process is complete will add further delays to the market launching.
“I’ve had concerns that we’re going to be a bit behind,” Tarasek said. “So if we wait until rulemaking is finished to get plants in the ground, that’s probably going to be first quarter second quarter 2025. Then we’re looking at a market launch in 2026, potentially.”
Rep. Nolan West, R-Blaine, tried to amend a bill Thursday night that makes