Minnesota’s First Craft Cannabis Business Accelerator Announces Inaugural Cohort

North Star Cannabis Consulting has announced 22 entrepreneurs selected for
Minnesota’s first cannabis business accelerator, combining 15 founding
members with seven newly selected participants. The program provides
collaborative support infrastructure for craft cannabis entrepreneurs as
Minnesota’s adult- use market reaches a critical growth phase.

Former securities and cannabis attorney Jen Randolph Reise founded the
accelerator after watching talented entrepreneurs struggle with regulatory
complexity while lacking resources to compete with multi-state operators.
The program offers regulatory guidance, vetted vendor networks, peer
support, and accountability systems at a fraction of the cost of
traditional legal consulting.

The accelerator explicitly focuses on Minnesota’s craft cannabis vision:
community-centered, locally-owned businesses rather than corporate,
multi-state operators (MSOs) entering Minnesota.

“Cannabis is small business on hard mode,” said Reise. “While the state
funds allocated to help teach and fuel these small businesses are still
unavailable to the entrepreneurs, we’re not waiting. Instead, we’ve leaned
into the maxim that many hands make light work. We can accomplish more
together. In other words, these 22 entrepreneurs represent what’s possible
when small cannabis businesses have infrastructure to collaborate rather
than struggle in isolation.”

The cohort includes established hemp retailers transitioning to full
dispensaries across the state (CannajoyMN in South Minneapolis, Green Apple
Cannabis in Breckenridge, Calm Waters-Coconut Cannabis in Bemidji) and new
dispensaries (Simply Kind in Starbuck), cultivators building compliant
operations (Higher Heights (Legacy Cup Winner), and Smith Farms North), and
social equity success stories like Moonbug Cannabis (Christopher and Vivien
Benben, military veterans in Minneapolis).

Most members of the cohort are preliminarily approved for microbusinesses,
Minnesota’s unique, vertically-integrated business model. Further, more
than half the cohort represents women-owned and/or BIPOC-owned businesses,
statistically the least-likely to receive funding as startup businesses.

All members are committed to setting up compliant businesses in Minnesota
and learning together how to make them profitable and successful.

“The accelerator connected me with the exact vendors I needed and helped me
understand which city requirements to tackle first,” said Christopher
Benben, Moonbug Cannabis. “Without this guidance, I would have spent months
and thousands of dollars figuring out the process alone.”

Minnesota’s adult-use sales launched in September with 59 licenses issued
to date, while over 1,500 entrepreneurs pursue microbusiness licenses.
Industry research from Whitney Economics shows only 24-25% of cannabis
businesses achieve profitability, with small operators facing particular
challenges. The accelerator addresses this critical moment when craft
businesses must establish themselves before market consolidation occurs.

The program offers a potential model for supporting small cannabis
businesses in newly legalized states, providing systematic infrastructure
that addresses the regulatory, capital, and operational challenges driving
high failure rates nationwide.

With analysts projecting $430 million in 2026 cannabis sales in Minnesota,
the accelerator positions participants to capture economic opportunity
while creating local jobs and community investment. The 22 businesses
represent Minnesota’s craft cannabis vision in action.

“We’re building the infrastructure Minnesota’s craft cannabis industry
needs to succeed long-term,” Reise said. “These 22 businesses will open
their doors, create jobs, and reinvest in their communities.”

Applications for future programs will be announced in 2026. Subscribe to
updates at northstarcannabis.beehiiv.com.

*About North Star Cannabis Consulting*

Founded by former securities attorney Jen Randolph Reise, North Star
Cannabis Consulting helps Minnesota cannabis entrepreneurs navigate
regulatory requirements and build sustainable businesses through the
state’s first cannabis business accelerator.

Media Contact: Shelisa Demuth 612-254-3613

press@laureldevelops.com