Minnesota MMJ Companies Scrambling

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Minnesota’s two medical marijuana businesses are racing the clock to get all of their dispensaries up and running.

Under Minnesota law, the two licensed cannabis companies in the state – LeafLine and Vireo Health – have until July 1 to open as many as four dispensaries each, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

As of June 1, the companies had opened just three dispensaries combined, one in Minneapolis, another in Eagan and a third in Rochester.

Two more dispensaries have opened so far this month, in St. Cloud and Moorhead.

LeafLine and Vireo are now rushing to open the remaining three allowed under the law before the July 1 deadline. The dispensaries are slated for St. Paul, Bloomington and Hibbing.

Some critics say that the state should have more than eight dispensaries, arguing that even when all of them are open many patients will still live too far away.

But because the program has gotten off to such a slow start – there were only 1,519 registered patients as of Friday – observers have instead started to worry whether the program can survive.

On the bright side, patients that are in the program are satisfied with it, according to a recent survey.