ST. PAUL, Minn. — A Ramsey County judge on Monday halted a planned lottery to award the first cannabis licenses on Tuesday, a setback for state regulators as they ramp up towards legal sales next year.

A Ramsey County, Minnesota, judge on Monday delayed the state’s Office of Cannabis Management’s social equity lottery — a day before it was scheduled to take place — after several people alleged they were unlawfully denied from participating in it.

The judicial process will dictate whether a lottery can be rescheduled to determine who is preapproved to run cannabis businesses once the legal market launches and how that might occur.

Two lawsuits, filed against the Office of Cannabis Management, are aiming to stop a lottery for cannabis licenses in.

The lottery’s postponement, however long it may be, delays the start of plant cultivation. That could lead to less supply for retailers when the market opens next year.

Ramsey County District Court Judge Stephen Smith sided with a group of applicants who had been denied access to the social equity pre-approval lottery

Rejected social equity license applicants have sued, arguing the process was unclear and had no opportunity for appeal.

A Ramsey County judge’s decision to delay the lottery could affect the launch of Minnesota’s retail marijuana market.

A case challenging how the Office of Cannabis Management handled social equity license applications moves next to the state Co­­urt of Appeals. The court on Wednesday directed the state