This county-level registration process is separate from the state-run license lottery held earlier this summer. While the Office of Cannabis Management oversaw statewide license distribution, Olmsted County opted to implement a lottery of its own due to anticipated high demand and limited business slots.
Microbusiness registrations allow selected operators to cultivate, manufacture, and retail cannabis products at a single location. To qualify, applicants must already hold a valid state license and meet local zoning, security, and compliance requirements.
Applications for microbusiness registration in Olmsted County closed on June 20. If the number of eligible applicants exceeded available slots, those names were entered into the August 7 drawing.
In addition to microbusinesses, Olmsted County has also opened application windows for mezzobusinesses and Cannabis Retailer which allow larger-scale operations with multiple locations. That registration period closed July 25, with a separate lottery expected later this summer.
The August 7 event marks one of the first visible milestones in launching legal cannabis retail in greater Minnesota a process that continues to unfold as local and state authorities coordinate licensing, regulation, and enforcement.
Under state law, Olmsted County can issue one cannabis business registration for every 12,500 residents, allowing for a total of up to 14 licenses. Of those, eight are specifically reserved for microbusinesses.
As of July 23rd, Olmsted County reported the following:
The review process for microbusiness applications is nearly complete, with 10 of the 11 submissions finalized. A lottery will be held for these applicants.
The mezzobusiness application window will close Friday July 25th at 5 PM.
Although retail registration was originally scheduled to begin the following week, it will likely be delayed by a week or two.
The County wants to ensure that all July 22nd lottery winners have been officially notified by the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) before launching the next phase.
List of selected applications for the lottery: Larsen Gardens, Knocked Out Genetics, Lakeside Alchemy, Uncle Sam’s Hemp, Wildhurst Cannabis, KK Green Discovery, Lakeside Greens, and Rybolt Wellness.
Alternates included Canna Serve Ya (Peter Jada, Rochester), Hempire LLC (Shelly Buchanan, Byron), and Highly Floral Dispensary (Mary Seitl, Rochester).
Those interested in attending or learning more about the lottery can visit olmstedcounty.gov for details.
This article was made with assistance from AI