Minnesota last week held its first cannabis license lotteries and picked 249 qualified applicants to receive the coveted authorizations to commence legal operations.
But according to Minnesota Public Radio, those applicants were left holding their breath a little longer when the state’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) mistakenly sent out emails telling all 249 winners that their applications had been denied.
OCM Public Information Officer Jim Walker said the mixup was caught quickly and corrected emails were sent within one hour. But applicants like Abbey Johnson were still caught off guard by the first email blast.
“I don’t know how I could have made that big of a mistake when I’ve been waiting two years, but I could have…,” said Johnson, who needed OCM reward letters to send to the cities where her retail stores are located. “They should just be better at their job or something by now. Everything’s riding on them doing their job when I have absolutely zero faith that they’re going to continue to do their job.”
