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CHRONICLING LEGAL CANNABIS IN MINNESOTA

By Matt DeLong

In this week’s Nuggets: Minnesota’s first municipal weed dispensary set to open next month; the Leech Lake Band will allow smoking lounges under new cannabis regulations; the growth of Minnesota’s cannabis industry, by the numbers; Pine City man charged after investigators uncover illegal marijuana cultivation, dispensary operation; where licensing stands in Minnesota right now; and a roundup of local government news.

Minnesota’s first municipal weed dispensary set to open next month: Anoka Cannabis Co., Minnesota’s first city-owned retail cannabis store, this week announced its upcoming grand opening celebration. Festivities will kick off Thursday, Feb. 5, at 2 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The store will open Friday at 10 a.m. and sales will be by appointment only all weekend. Anoka Cannabis Co. co-manager Jamie Croyle said this is because the location has limited parking and local officials asked the dispensary to regulate the amount of traffic on the opening weekend. Croyle expects to have flower on hand from the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe’s cannabis brands and hopes to offer adult-use vapes and edibles, in addition to a selection of lower-potency hemp products from Minnesota brands. A launch party from noon-4 p.m. Saturday in the store’s sallyport will feature a photo booth, swag station, freebie table and vendors. The store will also offer grand opening deals on flower, Croyle said. More info here.

Minnesota tribe will allow smoking lounges under new cannabis regulations: The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe made several announcements related to new tribal marijuana regulations in the past week. The northern Minnesota tribe opened a public comment period through March 26 for a new set of cannabis rules while simultaneously announcing those proposed regulations have been approved on an interim and expedited basis and are in place until they are replaced by final regulations. Last Friday, the Leech Lake Band opened a window for indoor marijuana cultivation license applications through Feb. 20. Though the tribe had previously proposed creating a license for nontribal cannabis businesses, the interim rules do not include such a permit. This round of cultivation licenses will only be available to tribal members and companies that are 100% owned by members or the tribe at large. The regulations require the tribe to release cannabis testing standards by July 1. 

The interim regulations will also permit Minnesota’s first authorized indoor smoking and consumption lounges. Tribally licensed retailers will be allowed to host “Designated Consumption Areas” where customers can smoke or otherwise consume cannabis products purchased from the business. Consumption areas located inside of a business must be equipped with adequate ventilation so that the odor of marijuana is not detected outside. The Leech Lake Band signed a tribal compact with Minnesota on Oct. 30. The new regulations will govern cannabis-related activities on tribal lands.

Pine City man charged after investigators uncover illegal marijuana cultivation, dispensary operation: “A 42-year-old Pine City man has been charged with multiple felony drug-related charges after investigators determined he was operating an illegal cultivation and dispensary operation. Alan Mosio was charged with 1st-degree possession of 50 kilograms or more of cannabis flower; 2nd-degree possession of 5 kilograms or more of cannabis concentrate; 2nd-degree possession of 50 grams or more of amphetamine/PCP/hallucinogens; and a 1st-degree charge of unlawfully cultivating more than 23 cannabis plants. … Investigators believed Mosio was residing and growing marijuana at a Crooked River Road home in Pine City and operating an illegal dispensary out of a 2nd Street residence,” Erik Van Rheenen reports for WCMP Radio. Read more. 

Where licensing stands in Minnesota right now: As of Thursday, the Office of Cannabis Management has issued a total of 136 cannabis business licenses and 707 lower-potency hemp licenses, according to data provided to Nuggets. This includes 108 microbusinesses, three mezzobusinesses, five retailers, and four cultivators (many micros and mezzos can also cultivate, as can medical cannabis combination businesses). Additionally, three testing facilities and five transporters have been fully approved. Our free (and frequently updated) marijuana retailer map shows 49 licensed recreational cannabis stores open for business across the state.

Reminder: If you’re aware of any licensed retailers open for business with adult-use products that are missing from our map, please let us know using the form below the map and we’ll be sure to add them ASAP. A spreadsheet with information about currently licensed cannabis businesses is available on the OCM website.

Local government roundup: 

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Turbo from south Minneapolis sent us this "Rogers Nelson's Cousins" plant growing indoors on day 20 of flower. It's a Black Cherry Bliss x Windu auto cross. Thanks for sharing!

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Jan. 31 (Sat.): Crafting, Connecting and Cannabis - "Music, snacks, networking, crafting and samples." 3-7 p.m. Ghost Dispensary, 1440 NE. 85th Av., Spring Lake Park. More info.

Feb. 5 (Thu.): Cannabis Advisory Council Quarterly Meeting - Agenda TBA. 10 a.m.-noon. Stassen Building, Room 2000, 600 N. Robert St., St. Paul. More info.

Feb. 27-28 (Fri.-Sat.): Lucky Leaf Expo Minneapolis - "Come network with some of the best professionals in the cannabis industry during our two-day cannabis conference." Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 S. 2nd Av., Minneapolis. More info.

Got questions about cannabis? 

Send them to us and we'll do our best to answer as many as we can in future newsletters.