(ABC 6 News) – The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management had some big news on Wednesday, including the first business license issued in the state.

Herb Quest LLC is the recipient of that license. It is a microbusiness in Brook Park, Pine County, whose initial primary business activity will be outdoor cultivation of cannabis plants.

OCM Interim Director Eric Taubel said issuing the first license is a big step forward for the office and the state’s cannabis industry.

“With our first licensed cultivator now able to begin growing plants, and more than 600 businesses within the final steps of completing their applications and securing approvals from local governments, we are now seeing the first pieces of Minnesota’s adult-use market fall into place.”

OCM is also new opportunities for prospective business owners looking to get in on Minnesota’s growing cannabis market. They include a new round of social equity status verification, a new licensing window for cannabis testing facilities, and the first licensing opportunity for cannabis event organizers.

Prospective social equity applicants will have the chance to get their status verified from July 7th to July 21st. Revised criteria includes applicants who have received stays of adjudication and adjudications of delinquency. Social equity verification is not required for obtaining a cannabis business license though.

The new window for cannabis testing facilities will open on August 1st. Changes to state law this session will allow applicants to obtain a license while pending accreditation by the International Standards Organization.

Applications for cannabis event organizer licenses will also open on August 1st. The license authorizes the holder to plan and host cannabis-related events in Minnesota, but the event must be limited to ages 21 or older and may not include the sale of alcohol.