FINAL REMINDER: Deadline to apply for a lower-potency hemp edible license is Friday at noon (CDT)

This is a final reminder that Friday, Oct. 31 (noon CDT), is the deadline for retailers, manufacturers, and wholesalers of lower-potency hemp edibles (LPHEs) to apply for a business license. Instructions and resources for applying for an LPHE license are available on our General Licensing Process webpage.  

• Under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 342, a business must apply for and obtain an LPHE license to continue selling LPHE products in Minnesota.  

• Hemp registrants that do not apply for an LPHE business license in this window must stop all sales of LPHEs on Oct. 31. 

• In addition to applying for and receiving a license from OCM, applicants for an LPHE retailer license must also apply for and obtain local retail registration from their local governments before beginning retail sales.  

• If you have an active cannabis business application, you do not need to apply for an LPHE license to continue to operate while your cannabis application is under review. However, we encourage you to obtain a cannabis license as soon as possible to ensure you can continue participating in the market. Once LPHE licenses are issued (following the October application window) licensed businesses are only able to purchase products from other licensed businesses. 

Once OCM issues an LPHE retailer license to a business, we will notify the local government, and the local government can then issue the local retail registration to the business. Local governments, please register an account in Accela in order to receive all communication regarding licensure in your municipality.    

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 have helpful resources to help you complete your application for a license:  

• Lower-Potency Hemp Edible License Application Review and Qualifications Guidance  

• User Guide: Creation and Submission of Lower-Potency Hemp Edible License Application Using Accela   

• Refer to OCM’s resources for applying for a lower-potency hemp edible business license for support throughout the application submission process.    

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

Apply now 

OCM often sees an influx of applications in the last moments of an application window, which can overwhelm the system and slow down your licensing process. Therefore, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.  

• All applications must be submitted by noon CDT on October 31 to be considered. OCM will not accept any applications or materials after the window closes. 

• If your submitted application does not meet OCM’s compliance standards, OCM will provide you with specific feedback outlining the areas that require clarification or correction to proceed. 

• Businesses that miss the application deadline who want to sell, manufacture or wholesale LPHEs will need to wait for a future LPHE licensing window in 2026.  

Please contact OCM customer service via our Contact Us webpage if you have general questions about the application process. Due to the high volume of customer service inquiries, you may not receive a response prior to the end of the application window. We encourage you to review and use the resources available.