Minnesota has now issued 350 cannabis business licenses, while more than 1,200 additional applicants have received preliminary approval, according to newly updated data from the state’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM).
As of August 24, the state had issued 254 microbusiness licenses, 22 mezzobusiness licenses, 20 cultivator licenses, 16 retailer licenses, 12 transporter licenses, 10 wholesaler licenses, six delivery service licenses, five testing facility licenses, three manufacturer licenses and two medical cannabis combination business licenses.
Another 1,255 applications have been preliminarily approved, meaning those businesses have cleared an important stage of the licensing process but have not yet received final licenses.
Under OCM rules, preliminarily approved applicants have 18 months to complete local government approvals, submit final plans and undergo the required pre-license inspection before obtaining a license.
The state also lists 493 applicants as qualified, a status indicating they have met initial application requirements and must next complete background checks and submit a labor peace agreement before advancing to preliminary approval.
Overall, Minnesota has processed 3,541 cannabis business applications across the licensing process. Of those, 387 have been denied, 320 withdrawn and 736 were not selected in lotteries for license categories subject to statutory caps.
Microbusinesses account for by far the largest share of licenses issued so far, representing 254 of the state’s 350 cannabis business licenses.
The latest numbers represent a substantial expansion from the end of 2025, when OCM reported 118 cannabis business licenses had been issued. The total has now nearly tripled in less than eight months.
Minnesota issued its first cannabis business license in June 2025, and state-licensed adult-use marijuana retailers began sales later that year as the state continued building out its regulated supply chain.
OCM also reports that 2,001 lower-potency hemp edible licenses have been issued separately, including 1,884 retailer licenses, 67 manufacturer licenses and 50 wholesaler licenses.
The agency says its licensing figures are preliminary and will continue to change as applicants move through the approval process.
