Legislative Reports
MN-OCM released two important reports this week!
One is "An Examination of Cannabis Consumers and Cannabis Demand in Minnesota." It includes an attempt to quantify the demand for legal cannabis in Minnesota post-licensing, noting that consumption in Minnesota is above the national average, and looking at a survey of Minnesotans and data from other states.
Jen's take: This is the report that the Star Tribune and other outlets summarized as saying there will be 381 dispensaries in Minnesota. That is not a good summary of the report or what to expect. That's just the population centers divided by 12,500 (remember HF100 said local governments had to grant at least a retail license for every 12,500 residents).
The second is the "OCM's Annual Report to the Legislature (2023)." This combines a number of topics upon which OCM is supposed to report annually, though some of them really don't apply yet.
Jen's take: Most interesting here are OCM's suggested changes to HF100, especially a recommendation to establish a separate social equity applicant license category and to allow some of those applicants a provisional license to open first (probably by lottery). This has sparked discussions, and we'll see where they go!
You can access both reports here.
Remaining Open Seats on the Cannabis Advisory Board
A few seats remain for the CAB - please consider applying here ASAP if you fit in these remaining categories:
Expert in Economic Development Strategies for Under-Resourced Communities
Expert in Minority Business Development
Expert in Minority Business Ownership
Expert in Women-Owned Businesses
Expert Representing the Interests of Cannabis Workers
Patient Advocate with Experience in the Mental Health System or Substance Use Disorder Treatment System
Surveys for Public Input
CURRENT SURVEY:
Licensing; social equity considerations. Deadline to provide input is Jan. 26.
UPCOMING SURVEYS:
Available Jan. 29-Feb. 11, 2024: Laboratory standards; edible products standards
Available Feb. 12-26: Medical cannabis and patient registry program
