Media Advisory
|
Contact: Jim Walker
(651) 539-5082
jim.walker@state.mn.us
|
July 17, 2025
|
Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management to hold lottery for cannabis retailer licenses on Tuesday, July 22
Interim director to offer virtual remarks and take questions
from media ahead of lotteries
St. Paul, Minn. – On Tuesday, July 22, the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) will hold a license lottery for combined general and social equity cannabis retailer license applicants. Social equity applicants (SEAs) who were not selected for retailer licenses in the previous lottery held on June 5 will join general applicants seeking retail licenses, providing another opportunity for SEAs to advance toward receiving a cannabis retail license and preserving some of the advantages to SEAs envisioned in legislation.
The lottery will be livestreamed for applicants, media, and members of the public to view via the office’s YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@MNCannabisManagement. There is no in-person option for viewing the lottery. The license application lottery will be conducted using the same procedures and controls as those employed by OCM on June 5. OCM has engaged Smartplay International, Inc., a recognized leader in digital lottery drawing systems, and Baker Tilly, an advisory tax and assurance firm, to conduct the lottery. Both vendors have conducted cannabis license lotteries in other states.
Applicants in the lottery can watch for their license application number to be drawn. OCM will post selected application numbers to its website and will communicate directly with applicants about their selection. Please note that the names and addresses of selected businesses will not be posted on the day of the lottery.
At 1 p.m., in advance of the lottery, Interim Director Eric Taubel will offer virtual remarks and answer questions from the media about the lottery process and the continuing rollout of Minnesota’s adult-use cannabis market. Instructions for requesting access to the media availability are below.
WHO: Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management, Interim Director Eric Taubel
WHAT: Cannabis General Retailer License Application Lottery
WHEN: Tuesday, July 22
1 p.m. – Virtual media availability (RSVP instructions below)
3 p.m. – General applicant lottery for cannabis retailers
Members of the press who would like to participate in the media availability with Interim Director Eric Taubel should RSVP by emailing josh.collins@state.mn.us for a link. OCM will issue and post its press release for reporters in advance of the remarks so that media can prepare for the availability.
For an overview of OCM’s license lotteries, including the results of the June 5 lotteries, visit OCM’s License Lotteries webpage.
###
Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a webpage.
|
