Five Hot Hemp Application Tips!

1. Get your application in now – Deadline is Halloween 

OCM is accepting business license applications for lower-potency hemp edible (LPHE) retailers, LPHE manufacturers, and LPHE wholesalers until Oct. 31 at noon CDT. Under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 342, a business is required to apply for and obtain an LPHE license to continue selling lower-potency hemp edible products in Minnesota. All hemp registrants that do not apply for an LPHE business license in this window must cease all sales of LPHEs on Oct. 31. LPHE licensing resources are available on our General Licensing Process webpage. 

2. Use our application guidance  

OCM has published guides to help you be successful in filling out your LPHE application.  

• Lower-Potency Hemp Edible License Application Review and Qualifications Guidance 
• User Guide: Creation and Submission of Lower-Potency Hemp Edible License Application Using Accela  
• Please refer to our resources for applying for a lower-potency hemp edible business license for support throughout the application submission process.   

 3. Use the correct form on your site registration(s) 

Fill out the Site, Security, and Operations form to finish the associated site registrations within your hemp application. Once you complete this form and hit submit, you will get a PDF version of it sent to your email. You will need to upload this PDF in Accela. Refer to the guides above. 

Additionally, if you are applying for an LPHE manufacturer license, review the Guidance for completing final plans of record (FPOR) for LPHE manufacturer applicants (published Oct. 15) before beginning the form. We want you to be successful in your application! 

 4. Upload the right document from the Minnesota Secretary of State (SOS) office  

When filling out your application, you will be prompted to upload your “proof of trade name” from the Minnesota Secretary of State office. Refer to the instructions above in #2. What we need from you is a pdf document with one of the following titles:  “Certificate of Organization,” “Certificate of Incorporation,” or “Certificate of Good Standing” and if you have a DBA (doing business as), your “Certificate of Assumed Name.” The official documents that you get directly from the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office are the only ones we can accept for this part of the application. It will look like this: 

5. Talk to your local government officials about retail registration 

In addition to an OCM-issued license and endorsement, LPHE retailer licensee holders must obtain a retail registration from their local government before the business can begin retail sales. More information can be found on page 11 of Hemp Businesses in Minnesota: A guide for lower-potency hemp edible license applicants. 

Please contact OCM customer service via our Contact Us webpage if you have general questions about the application process.