Ordinance on cannabis business regulations passes in St. Paul

ST. PAUL, Minn. — When dispensaries open up next year, they'll have the green light to move in anywhere in downtown St. Paul, according to an ordinance passed unanimously by the city council on Wednesday.

The ordinance, however, bars dispensaries from opening within 300 feet of a school.

The legislature set the law legalizing weed but gave local governments the power to regulate where and when businesses operate in their communities through their local zoning laws.

The guidelines recommended by the state allow cities and counties to limit the number of cannabis dispensaries to one for every 12,500 people and to prohibit operations within 1,000 feet of a school.

City officials conducted a study comparing a 300-feet restriction surrounding schools with the 1,000-feet restriction lawmakers set as the ceiling. They found the latter would mean more than 60% of space zoned for retail would be off-limits.

Some expressed concern with the more relaxed rules.

"If, after a bit of history, there is a desire to loosen these restrictions, that is relatively easy to do. What is difficult to do is tighten regulation once businesses are established and investments have been made," wrote Jeanne Weigum, President of the Association for NonSmokers of Minnesota. "There is no compelling reason to set the bar low when the option of starting slowly and then potentially decreasing the distance requirement is readily available."

Prospective cannabis businesses will also need to have 24-hour surveillance and will be prohibited from sharing a common entrance with tobacco shops.

Businesses still need to apply and get approved for a state license to operate a dispensary in Minnesota.