Minnesota will need at least 381 cannabis dispensaries, study finds
MINNEAPOLIS — Now that recreational marijuana is legal, Minnesota will need nearly 400 dispensaries to comply with state law, a new study reveals.
The law requires one dispensary for every 12,500 Minnesotans. That totals to a minimum of 381 cannabis dispensaries across the state.
Participants in the study included Minnesotans who have consumed marijuana within the past year. Of those participants, 83% reported cannabis consumption at least once a month. Forty percent reported consuming cannabis "daily or almost daily."
Additionally, participants reported obtaining an average of 24.8 grams of marijuana in the past month — slightly above the national average.
Right now, the only dispensaries are within tribal nations. They don't have to go through the state licensing system, which isn't set up yet.
The study found most Minnesotans get weed from a dealer, which is illegal.
Minnesota's Office of Cannabis Management wants the legislature to help streamline the licensing process so businesses can open faster.
About 25% of the participants reported growing cannabis at home, which is legal. Adults can grow up to eight plants at home, with no more than four flowering at a time. Study participants reportedly grew an average of two plants at a time.