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Committee approves local registration ordinance for state-licensed cannabis and hemp retailers
Summary
The committee passed a local registration ordinance to register selected state-licensed cannabis and hemp retailers in Minneapolis, set to use state-authorized maximum fees and an annual age-compliance check program.
The Business, Housing and Zoning Committee on April 8 approved an ordinance establishing local registration for selected state-licensed cannabis and hemp retailers under the city's code (Title 13, Chapter 355).
Amy Lingo, manager for Business Licensing, said the ordinance implements the state’s direction that certain cannabis business types be registered by local authorities and that Minneapolis elected to keep registration at the city level rather than delegating to Hennepin County. Lingo summarized the covered business types and the compliance program: “The business types that will be registered by the city of Minneapolis are as follows, cannabis micro business with retail operations endorsement, cannabis meso business with retail operations endorsement, cannabis retailers, medical cannabis retailers, medical cannabis combination businesses, and lower potency hemp edible retailers.”
Lingo told the committee, quoting the transcript, “Minnesota statute 3 42 22 requires certain cannabis business types to be registered by the local authority.” She also explained that registration fees will be set to the maximum amounts allowed by state statute and that the city will implement annual age compliance checks similar to youth alcohol and tobacco compliance programs: “They'll look very similar to the youth alcohol compliance checks and the youth tobacco compliance checks … yearly each establishment is checked to make sure that they are not selling to underage buyers.”
Council members asked about the rationale for city-level registration and fee structure. Lingo said Minneapolis chose city registration because it is the largest city in Hennepin County and wished to maintain local control over time, place and manner and over age-compliance verification. The committee opened and closed the public hearing with no speakers and voted to approve the ordinance; the chair announced, “The ayes have it and the motion carries.”
The ordinance directs Business Licensing and CPED to implement the local registration program once the state begins issuing approvals; Lingo said the Office of Cannabis Management is preparing to start issuing licenses toward the end of the month and the city will be ready to register businesses once the state sends approvals.
