Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to ensure fair and equitable access to cannabis licenses in Minnesota, with a specific focus on prioritizing social equity applicants. This is intended to address historical injustices and create more opportunities for communities affected by past cannabis laws.

Main Provisions

• Priority for Social Equity Applicants: The Office of Cannabis Management is required to review all verified social equity applicants before considering general applicants for cannabis licenses.
• Lottery System: If the number of social equity applicants exceeds the available licenses, a lottery system will be used to fairly distribute licenses among qualified applicants.
• General Applicant Lottery: Should the number of overall applicants surpass the available licenses, a similar lottery system will be employed for general applicants as well.
• Impartial Lottery Process: All lotteries must be random, impartial, and conducted in a manner determined by the Office of Cannabis Management.
• Notification of Applicants: After lottery completion, applicants will be informed whether they were selected for preliminary license approval.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

The bill amends existing Minnesota Statutes to formally incorporate these new procedures and priorities for cannabis licensing, which emphasizes social equity in the allocation process.

Relevant Terms

social equity, cannabis licensing, Office of Cannabis Management, lottery system, historical injustices, license allocation, Minnesota statutes