DULUTH, Minn. [Northern News Now] - Almost two full years after recreational marijuana was legalized in Minnesota, 249 businesses became the winners of cannabis licenses last week.
However, a lot of questions, including who those winners are, still remain.
Owner of Lake Superior Dispensary on Central Entrance in Duluth Danielle Detlefsen wasn’t an applicant, but she had previously been a part of the lottery process.
She dropped out in 2024 when the first lottery draft was canceled.
“It’s being long and drawn out, and the hardest part is not knowing what the next step is,” said Detlefsen.
Instead, she applied as a microbusiness, which means she could still sell recreational cannabis in a more limited capacity.
There is no cap on how many microbusinesses can exist in Minnesota. However, Detlefsen is now waiting for a license from St. Louis County because all cannabis businesses must comply with local government laws as well.
She says her customers are waiting with her..
“They wanna know specific dates, and I can just do the best I can with what I know and what I’m learning,” said Detlefsen.
“Setting up an entirely new regulatory system is complicated, especially one that involves products that are still federally illegal,” said Collins.
He says data on lottery winners will be posted in the coming weeks.
“People are interested in where these applicants come from, where might they begin to see businesses setting up storefronts,” said Collins. “We know that people are eagerly looking for that.”
The lottery process is completely random when it comes to location, so the Duluth area could theoretically end up with no licenses, although that doesn’t include microbusinesses.
If that were to happen in Duluth or elsewhere, Collins says they could potentially open up additional licensing opportunities in the future.
The next and final state lottery for the foreseeable future will take place on July 22.
That lottery will hand out 75 additional retail licenses.
