Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management Opens Public Comment Period for Draft Cannabis Rules

On Jan. 13, 2025, the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced its intent to adopt expedited rules which will complete the framework for Minnesota’s new cannabis industry. A copy of the proposed rules can be found on the OCM website.

The 30-day public comment period will end on 4:30 p.m. GMT on Wednesday Feb. 12, 2025. During this period the public may submit comments through the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) website. Instructions on how to use the system are available on the OAH website.

All public comments should:

• identify the portion of the proposed rules addressed and the reason for the comment;
• include any desired change to the proposed rules; and
• provide any comments the reviewer may have as to the legality of the proposed rule.

All comments or responses received are public data and will be available for review on the eComments website.

Following the public comment period, OCM may make any changes to the rules they see fit based on “reasonable feedback” gathered during the public comment period. Any such changes will be submitted to a state judge for confirmation and then sent to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office and the governor to complete the statutory 14-day veto period. The final adaptation of the rules will be published by OCM in the State Register for adoption, which is anticipated to occur before the end of the first quarter of 2025.

These rules will be essential in launching Minnesota’s cannabis industry. Potential impacts include:

• Any qualified applicants for the cannabis business license types that are not capped in statute could receive their business license as soon as the rules are adopted.
• A qualified applicant for a microbusiness license may be able to begin cultivating cannabis and kickstart business operations before the summer of 2025.
• Similarly, qualified applicants in the other non-capped license types (wholesaler, transporter, testing facility and delivery service) could have licenses as soon as the rules are adopted.

If you have any questions or need assistance with submitting comments, please contact your regular Armstrong Teasdale lawyer or one of the authors listed below.