REGIONAL- The St. Louis County Board gave its final approval last week to an ordinance regulating cannabis businesses in the county. The ordinance goes into effect January 1, 2025, and covers the municipalities, townships and unorganized townships in St. Louis County where the county is the planning and zoning authority.
A public hearing preceding the board’s vote drew only two comments from residents of Solway Township, where a Twin Cities business has inquired about available commercial property for establishing a cannabis distribution center, according to Town Board Chair Ronald Gajewski. Rick Johnston registered his objection to the business, noting the lack of regular law enforcement in the township. Commissioners received the remarks without specific comment.
Third District Commissioner Ashely Grimm raised several questions about the ordinance, particularly about the restriction on the use of cannabis on public lands owned by government entities. As was confirmed by County Attorney Kim Maki, that would include tax-forfeited properties, which Grimm felt might be overregulating use that presented no harm and could be an enforcement issue. Sixth District Commissioner and Board Chair Keith Nelson pointed out that the ordinance was drafted carefully, and that the commission could always modify the provisions after it has been enacted, once they see what the evolving cannabis landscape looks like.
“We took a very conservative approach, there’s no question,” Nelson said. “These ordinances are something that can be modified as time goes on. Remember that the state handed us a pile of crapola and said, ‘You guys figure it out.’ This ordinance is the process of figuring that out. This was all handed down to the counties, without any money, by the way, so we’ve spent the last five or six months going through this, we’ve spent a lot of time and energy and money to come up with what we have in front of us. The state can’t even get a drawing done on time.”
Based on a calculation accounting for the population in the areas of the county governed by the measure, the ordinance approved the registration of three licensed cannabis businesses. County staff noted that the state Office of Cannabis Management is responsible for all licensing activities, and that state statue says that the counties “shall” register businesses granted a license. St. Louis County will take those state-granted licensees on a first come, first served basis, and retain a list of other applicants that will be contacted should any of the initial registrants cease operating.
The county’s ordinance addresses use of cannabis in public, establishes zoning restrictions for cannabis businesses and hemp businesses, and sets hours for operations of retail businesses.
Significant points of the ordinance include:
No cannabis retail business will be allowed to operate within 1,000 feet of a school, or within 500 feet of a licensed daycare, residential treatment facility or a public park that is regularly used by minors.
Per statute, the county is required to approve registrations for at least one licensed cannabis retail business per 12,500 residents. Based on the number of residents living in areas where St. Louis County has zoning authority, that means the county will grant approval to three such retail businesses.
Use of cannabis will be banned in public parks or government owned, leased or controlled lands, as well as any indoor places where smoking is banned.
Anyone hoping to open a cannabis business in St. Louis County must first apply for a license through the state’s Office of Cannabis Management.
The ordinance, as well as other information and resources about cannabis, can be found on the county’s website at stlouiscountymn.gov/cannabis. The ordinance passed 6-1, with Grimm opposing.