Minnesota moves closer to recreational marijuana market with new agency

Minnesota regulators have begun the work of setting up a new state cannabis office from scratch — a key first step toward establishing the recreational marijuana market.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is taking the lead on setting up the state's Office of Cannabis Management and has hired a state government veteran to head the endeavor. Over the next few months, a team comprised of existing regulators and contractors will build the cannabis office's budget and lay the groundwork for hiring at least 100 new state employees, including the agency's director.

"We're building a brand-new industry in Minnesota from seed to sale," said Charlene Briner, who's been contracted by the Agriculture Department to help set up the office. "We've got a lot of work to do to build this retail market so that it is safe, reliable and available to Minnesotans."

While adult marijuana use will be decriminalized and home-growing will become legal Aug. 1, retail sales aren't likely to start until January 2025 or even a couple of months later than that, Briner said.

State regulators have much to do before then. Briner, who served previous stints as deputy commissioner at the state departments of education and human services, is leading the search for the Office of Cannabis Management's first director.

That hire should be made by the late summer to early fall, Briner said. She intends to post the director job on July 1, accept applications for 30 days, begin interviewing candidates in August and then send recommendations to Gov. Tim Walz. The governor will then interview the finalists and pick a director.

Walz generally corroborated that timeline in an interview.

"My hope is sometime by this fall that person will be in place and moving," Walz said.

Briner said the state will look for a cannabis director who has experience in regulatory and leadership roles as well as a "deep commitment" to equity and repairing the harms of marijuana prohibition. That search will look at candidates from Minnesota and other states.

"Minnesota is full of very talented individuals," Briner said. "We also know that we could benefit from the experience of other states that have done this. We want to cast the widest possible net that we can."

Some advocates in the cannabis community have mentioned Chris Tholkes, director of Minnesota's Office of Medical Cannabis, as a potential contender for the job.

Asked if she's interested in leading the Office of Cannabis Management, Tholkes told the Star Tribune she would be happy to continue serving the state in her current role "or in another capacity."

Tholkes has been working with Briner and others to set up the cannabis office, even helping create its first website. The Office of Medical Cannabis, which is currently housed within the state Health Department, will eventually fold into the new cannabis agency.

"We have a vested interest in seeing it succeed and get set up with a solid foundation," Tholkes said.

Once hired, the director will fill out the rest of the office's staff. The Office of Cannabis Management is expected to employ 100-120 people, Briner said.

Briner said she and others will draft some of the office's rules and write job postings for key roles such as the directors of finance, human resources and communications, ahead of time.

"We hope to have some of those key positions posted so that the executive director at least will have a portfolio of candidates to start doing those interviews and making those hires," she said.

The state has already put out a request for proposals to build the software that the Office of Cannabis Management will use to license marijuana businesses. Briner said she hopes to have a vendor selected to develop the system this summer.

Although many Minnesotans are eager to partake in the new market, Briner urged them to be patient with the state as it works to create a thoughtful regulatory structure.

"While January of 2025 may seem like it's a long way away, it's going to go fast and there's a lot of work happening right now to make it happen," she said.

Staff writer Jessie Van Berkel contributed to this report.