Minnesota’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) will hold a second lottery for marijuana retail licenses on Tuesday, July 22, with a focus on Social Equity Applicants who were not selected in the state’s initial drawing last month.
(Photo credit: Vicente LLP).
The lottery is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. and will be streamed live on the OCM’s official YouTube channel. There will be no in-person viewing option.
Social Equity Applicants—those who either have a past marijuana conviction or have a close family member who does—are being given another chance to obtain a license through this second round. The category also includes residents of areas with high rates of poverty or disproportionate marijuana enforcement. A full list of eligibility criteria is available through the OCM.
The drawing will be conducted by two outside firms: Smartplay International Inc. and Baker Tilly. Both have previously overseen cannabis licensing lotteries in other legal states.
Once the drawing is complete, the OCM says it will publish the results online and begin contacting selected applicants.
