Minnesota business owners see budding opportunity with passage of recreational cannabis
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The passage of recreational cannabis opens the door for new business opportunities even for those already selling THC or CBD-infused products.
"We sell legal edibles, drinks, topicals, everything that would have been legal as of last July," St. Paul Cannabis Dispensary & Delivery Owner David Mendolia said.
The St. Paul dispensary owner sees recreational marijuana as a budding business opportunity.
"We're excited as I imagine any local business owner would be," Mendolia said.
The bill that legalizes marijuana creates a new regulatory framework to license businesses that would cultivate, manufacture, and sell marijuana at retail dispensaries. There are 12 different business licenses a person can apply for in the adult-use market, and there are additional licenses for medical cannabis.
"The license type we are specifically interested in would allow us to grow some of those products and manufacture them in house as well," he said.
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Customers told WCCO they are excited too.
"It's a little surprising that it took this long," St. Paul resident Max Brumberg-Kraus said.
Starting Aug. 1, people with misdemeanor cannabis offenses will also have their records cleared.
"Hopefully there's more equality and equity now. That's what I'm hoping. Personally, it's also exciting but I think it's more serious than that," he said.
Stephanie Linstrom has used medical cannabis for six years. She hopes the passage will increase access.
"There will be more of a variety of ways to purchase the cannabis and use it and it will be easier to find instead of having to drive to the dispensaries the state has it will just be around the corner," she said.
But dispensaries won't pop up overnight. It's expected to take a year or longer before products hit store shelves.
"I think like anyone we are nervous to some degree. Hoping we will get the license and when and what order. In other states the issuing of licenses is usually a slow rollout," Mendolia said.