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CHRONICLING LEGAL CANNABIS IN MINNESOTA

By Matt DeLong

In this week’s Nuggets: Minnesota’s first adult-use pot dispensary outside of tribal lands expected to open next month; window to submit cannabis business license applications opens Feb. 18; OCM to host “virtual office hours” on different license types; many chronic pain patients are finding relief with medical cannabis, OCM study says; a roundup of local government news; and don't forget to submit your comments about OCM’s draft cannabis rules by Feb. 12.

Minnesota’s first adult-use pot dispensary outside of tribal lands expected to open next month: The White Earth Band of Chippewa is poised to have the largest footprint in the state’s fledgling cannabis industry by expanding off the reservation with adult-use marijuana dispensaries in Moorhead next month and St. Cloud in the spring, Kim Hyatt reports. The Moorhead location will be the state’s first off-reservation dispensary, once a tribal compact agreement with the state is finalized. Waabigwan Mashkiki, White Earth’s cannabis company, opened its flagship dispensary in Mahnomen in 2023. CEO Zach Wilson said they are eyeing storefronts as far south as Mankato and Rochester as part of their expansion. Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) spokesman Josh Collins said in a statement that the state’s first tribal compact agreement is likely to be finalized by March. Read more. 

Window to submit cannabis business license applications opens Feb. 18: Prospective entrepreneurs can submit applications for most social equity and general cannabis business license types from Feb. 18 until March 14. Applications for cannabis event organizer, lower-potency hemp edible manufacturer and lower-potency hemp edible retailer licenses will not be accepted at this time, so watch for updates on those license types later this year. Social equity applicants who were denied entry to the canceled preapproval lottery and did not request a refund of their application fee will receive requests for more information from the OCM and will be allowed to correct a broader range of errors in their applications than during the preapproval process. Two lotteries — one for social equity applicants and another for general applicants — are expected to be held later this spring. More information about the upcoming application process and limits for some license types can be found here. 

OCM to host “virtual office hours” on different license types: Got questions about the various cannabis license types? The OCM will host a series of “virtual office hours” sessions this month to answer them for you. Each session will take place from 4-5 p.m. on the appointed day. The agency says it will not provide legal or business advice. You can register for the following sessions:

Many chronic pain patients finding relief with medical cannabis, OCM study says: The OCM released a 63-page report this week detailing the findings of a study of 9,961 patients with pain-related conditions who were enrolled in the state’s medical marijuana program between March 2022 and Feb 2023. From the report:

Meaningful pain relief within four months was found among 30.5% of intractable pain patients, 32.9% of chronic pain patients, and 28.3% of cancer pain patients. Amongst all pain-related conditions, almost one-third (31.7%) of patients experiencing moderate to severe pain at enrollment saw a meaningful reduction in pain symptoms within four months of treatment. Of those patients experiencing a meaningful reduction in symptoms, 49.7% of them were able to maintain the pain reduction for an additional four months after achieving it. 

These pain reduction numbers are similar to current research on treating pain with cannabis. Though these percentages may seem low, cannabis treatment offers other benefits to patients experiencing pain-related conditions that allows for their pain to be better managed and ultimately improve their quality of life. Many patients report that they have much higher quality sleep when treating their pain with cannabis. Getting better sleep often allows for patients to start the day in a better mental and emotional state.

The report also found that health care practitioners reported about 25% of patients who were taking pain medications reported a reduction in these medications in the six months after they started using medical cannabis. Read the full report here. 

Local government roundup:

Submit your comments about OCM’s draft cannabis rules by Feb. 12: The public comment period for the regulations that will govern Minnesota’s adult-use cannabis market will close Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 4:30 p.m. You can find a PDF of the draft rules here. Cannabis law firm Vicente LLP has compiled some highlights. You can also submit a comment or see comments others have already submitted here. (Reminder: Anything you submit will be public.) 

CORRECTIONS: The Jan. 24 edition of Nuggets misidentified the court to which a group of social equity applicants who qualified for the canceled preapproval lottery filed a motion asking to reinstate the lottery. It was Ramsey County District Court, not the Minnesota Court of Appeals. 

Additionally, an item in the Jan. 31 edition of Nuggets misstated the square footage of the main building at Island Pezi’s new cultivation and production facility due to incorrect information provided to the Minnesota Star Tribune. It is 18,100 square feet.

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This Apple Fritter autoflower was planted Oct. 7 and harvested Jan. 3. Thanks to Schyler in Plainview for sharing!

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Feb. 11 (Tue.): Making Valentines for the Elderly - "Join Healing Fear Consulting and Dabbler Depot's Seed & Sesh in crafting Canna Valentines to be dropped off at Twin Cities nursing homes." No RSVP or artistic experience needed. BYO cannabis. 6-8 p.m. Dabbler Depot Seed & Sesh, 951 Payne Av., St. Paul. More info.

Feb. 16 (Sun.): Light 'Em Up The Bong Show 4.0 - "A unique and interactive comedy improv experience for Twin City comedy and cannabis fans." 7-10 p.m. Hook and Ladder Theater, 3010 Minnehaha Av., Minneapolis. Tickets and more info. 

Feb. 18 (Tue.): Exclusive Cannabis Law Meet-Up - "We’ll dive into the dynamic world of cannabis law in Minneapolis and help you expand your professional network." Open to cannabis business owners, entrepreneurs, compliance managers and more. 4:30-6 p.m. Modist Brewing, 505 N. 3rd St., Minneapolis. More info. 

Feb. 20 (Thu.) High Pines Canna Club - "Join us for a chill night of networking and connecting with fellow cannabis enthusiasts!" Presented by Canna Connect MN. 5-7:30 p.m. Jack Pine Brewery, 15593 N. Edgewood Dr., Baxter. 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.