City officials fine-tune rules for Minnesota’s growing marijuana industry

Minneapolis and St. Paul are working to finalize zoning changes to some marijuana business regulations.

The Minneapolis City Council announced at its meeting Thursday that new changes have been proposed to the zoning code regarding the cannabis industry.

The St. Paul City Council heard public comment Wednesday on where some marijuana stores could be built.

The St. Paul City Council could vote to approve the zoning changes at its meeting later this month.

Part of the plan calls for marijuana businesses to be located at least 300 feet away from schools — except downtown — operating on the commercial property.

“I think St. Paul’s zoning policy is really great,” said Leili Fatehi, partner and principal of Blunt Strategies, a leading expert on Minnesota’s cannabis industry. “St. Paul has developed a policy that I think really creates a good environment for companies to locate there.”

A city staff report found that if St. Paul followed state regulations allowing greater distances from child-friendly areas, 63% of its potential retail space would not be available for marijuana cultivation.

A St. Paul man who spoke before the city council said the decision to regulate marijuana carries a lot of risk.

“I believe it is extremely important that the city takes proactive steps to ensure that our zoning code and other ordinances protect residents of our community from the negative experiences that other cities have had with cannabis cultivation and production,” the resident testified.

A major complication in this process is the fact that the state of Minnesota is currently accepting applications and has not yet issued any business licenses.

State officials expect the regulated cannabis industry to be in full swing next year.