rewrite this title and make it good for SEOMinnesota cannabis sales hit $31 million since launch amid growing pains

Minnesota’s adult-use cannabis market may finally be taking off after a slow and challenging start.

Since the September launch of non-tribal adult use sales, Minnesota cannabis stores reported more than $31 million in revenue from 466,000 transactions through the end of December, according to the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management.

In that time, medical cannabis sales totaled $31.7 million, according to OCM data. December was the first month that adult-use sales outpaced MMJ sales, with $9.4 million in adult-use compared to $8.8 million for medical.

The growing pains that slowed Minnesota cannabis sales

Among the problems hampering Minnesota’s launch was a lack of licensed cultivation space that left many retailers with bare shelves.

Then, after cultivators kicked into gear, a lack of licensed transporters kept product away from consumers.

Only four of the licensed businesses are cultivators, though 13 of the 95 licensed “microbusinesses” can cultivate.”

Minnesota’s cannabis business licensing process faced significant delays, with only 59 adult-use retail licenses issued as of late 2025, while over 1,400 applicants were waiting for final approval.

That bottleneck led to a speculative resale market, with licenses – originally priced under $10,000 – listed for sale for over $1 million.

Minnesota marijuana prices outpacing nearby states

Monthly plantings for adult-use cannabis hit a high of 18,000 in October before leveling off at 14,000 in November and December.

It typically takes several months for cannabis plants to mature from seed to harvest, meaning much of the fall plantings are only now reaching the market.

Currently, about 66,000 marijuana plants are growing in the state.

Owing in part to the supply shortage, marijuana prices are holding steady at $13.54 for the median cost of a gram, or roughly $48 for an eighth before taxes.

That’s lower than nearby Illinois, according to data from Headset, but almost triple the cost of cannabis in Michigan, where many operators bemoan a saturation.