Minnesota became the 23rd state in the nation to legalize cannabis for recreational use on August 1, 2023, however, no regulatory market for sales has been established.

State law (Chapter 63, HF100) permits Minnesotans over the age of 21 to possess and use cannabis and cannabis products in specified quantities. Adults over the age of 21 may possess or transport up to 2 ounces of cannabis flower, 8 grams of concentrate, and 800 milligrams within edibles. Possession of up to two pounds of cannabis flower in a private residence is also legal.

So if you aren’t growing it, how can you get it?

Legal, state-licensed dispensaries are not set to open until 2025. However, this law doesn’t apply to the 11 tribal nations in Minnesota. Some of these nations have opened up native dispensaries in Minnesota within their sovereign territories.

Cannabis Can Be Grown At Home In Minnesota

Adults across the state of Minnesota can now cultivate a limited quantity of cannabis at home. The new law enables up to eight cannabis plants, with no more than four of them flowering, to be cultivated in a single residence, as long as it is the primary residence of a person aged 21 or older. Plants must be kept in an enclosed, secured area that is not accessible to the public eye.

Minnesota Legalizes Cannabis, But Can You Buy It?

While it is now legal for Minnesotans to cultivate cannabis at home, it will take longer to establish the regulatory framework for new cannabis businesses so that they can be licensed and operate under the supervision of a new state cannabis office. The development of the regulatory framework will take time and necessitate input from communities throughout the state.

With a comprehensive research campaign planned, state officials do not anticipate licensed retail dispensaries to begin operation until early 2025.

Legally Purchase Cannabis At Native Dispensaries In Minnesota

Those who wish to legally purchase cannabis in the state, however, are in luck. Minnesota’s new cannabis law requires cannabis retailers to be licensed, but it doesn’t apply to the 11 tribes in the state. This has allowed native owned recreational dispensaries begin to open to serve the region.

This is comparable to what has occurred in New York. The Seneca Nation of Indians and other nearby nations have decided to open their land and offer cannabis sales to those in need as a result of the lackluster efforts to establish a legal recreational dispensary market within the state. 

On the Red Lake Nation in northwest Minnesota, the first recreational cannabis dispensary for adults opened. Red Lake Nation now offers cannabis sales in Thief River Falls and Warroad via a mobile dispensary. A few days after the Red Lake Nation, the White Earth Nation launched a marijuana dispensary near Detroit Lakes. To accommodate demand and available supply, the dispensary limits daily purchases to 14 grams.

The cannabis offered by White Earth is cultivated in close proximity to the dispensary, in a facility known as the “old potato-chip factory.” The facility spans an area of 30,000 square feet and has several rooms dedicated to certain functions, such as two flower rooms, a germination area, two drying areas, a manufacturing space, and a vault.

Purchases of cannabis from sovereign native dispensaries in Minnesota are are exempt from taxation.

Taxes On Cannabis From State Dispensaries

In addition to state and local sales taxes, the sales tax on cannabis products will be 10%. Local governments will not impose an additional levy on cannabis, like other states who have potency taxes. Learn more on the Cannabis Tax page of the Department of Revenue’s website. The sales of medical cannabis products are not taxed.