St. Paul, MN — On Tuesday, November 26, the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) will hold a lottery to select from 648 applications for license preapproval that made it through the first round of the rigorous application and licensing process established in Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 342. The lottery will be livestreamed for members of the public to view via the office’s YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@MNCannabisManagement.

The lottery marks a significant milestone in the state’s work to launch a legal adult-use cannabis industry that is expected to mature over the next several years. Each application underwent a rigorous review to ensure consistency with statutory requirements and baseline standards of readiness. More than a third of applicants were qualified and able to successfully complete the process, which included numerous statutory requirements, and more than a dozen documents, within a narrow statutorily defined window. Applicants that did not meet those requirements, including a substantial number that OCM identified as being in violation of the law or fraudulent, are not moving forward to the lottery.  

WHO:  Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management  

WHAT: Cannabis License Preapproval Selection Lottery  

WHEN: Tuesday, November 26, 11 a.m. (brief remarks for media at 10:30 a.m., details below) 

WHERE: The lottery will be livestreamed via OCM’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MNCannabisManagement. 

Interim Director Charlene Briner will offer brief remarks virtually to the press at 10:30 a.m. Members of the press who would like to hear the remarks should email jim.walker@state.mn.us by 10 a.m. Tuesday, November 26, for a link to attend.