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Koochiching County schedules second public hearing on revised cannabis ordinance; adds zoning and retail‑limit language
Summary
After public comment, the board approved publishing a second public hearing on a revised adult‑use cannabis ordinance for June 10, 2025. Revisions clarify retail‑registration limits, allow bundled cultivation/manufacture/retail in AF‑1 with conditional permits, and align public‑use rules with state statutes.
Koochiching County commissioners voted May 13 to publish a revised adult‑use cannabis ordinance for a second public hearing on June 10, 2025, at 9 a.m. The board directed staff to present the amended draft and to take public comment at that hearing.
Administrator Cole reviewed changes the county made after an earlier public hearing and committee review. Key revisions in the draft include:
- Retail limits: the draft now allows “two active cannabis retail business registrations or one for every 12,500 residents, whichever is more.” The ordinance adds language that the county is not required to register additional state‑licensed retail businesses but may review applications case‑by‑case.
- Zoning: the county added AF‑1 (agricultural/forestry) to the zoning districts where certain cannabis businesses may be allowed with a conditional use permit (CUP) or interim use permit (IUP). The change is intended to allow bundled micro/meso licenses (cultivate, manufacture, retail) to operate on a single parcel under a CUP or IUP rather than requiring multiple zone designations.
- Public‑use consumption: the draft rewrites the ordinance’s public‑place definition and restricts inhalation‑based use (smoke, aerosol, vapor) in public places and places of public accommodation, and in any location where smoking is prohibited under Minnesota statute 145.414. The committee removed special treatment for edible and drinkable products and sought to align cannabis public‑use rules with existing tobacco and alcohol rules.
Cole said the changes respond to concerns about potential monopolies, zoning conflicts for bundled licenses, and clarity for visitors and residents about where consumption is allowed. Commissioners noted cities within the county may retain or amend their own local tobacco or smoking ordinances and that enforcement would be complaint‑driven for unorganized parts of the county. The board set the hearing for June 10, 2025, at 9 a.m. and approved publication of the hearing notice.
Separately, the board acknowledged a municipal delegation (a City of Littleford resolution dated Dec. 19, 2024) delegating to the county authority to issue retail registrations and conduct compliance checks within that city's boundaries; the board recorded that acknowledgement as part of local coordination with municipal partners.
Action taken: the board approved publication for a June 10 public hearing on the revised cannabis ordinance and acknowledged the delegation of registration authority from Littleford. The motions carried on voice votes.
