CARLTON — The Carlton County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday unanimously approved an 80-acre cannabis microgrow business to operate on the western edge of the county.
Panta Cannabis, owned by Bloomington-based OBAA Partners Incorporated, will be located off County Road 6 in Automba Township.
“The neighborhood is excited, and of course, it’s something different when it’s legal,” said Commissioner Dan Reed, who represents the district where the growing operation will be based.
Panta Cannabis plans to construct separate storage and manufacturing facilities, as well as several greenhouses for growing cannabis, according to Chris Berg, zoning and environmental services administrator for Carlton County.
The Office of Cannabis Management, the state agency regulating Minnesota’s cannabis industry, allows cannabis microbusinesses to grow, make, sell and buy cannabis, lower-potency hemp edibles, and hemp-derived consumer products. It also allows them to have on-site lounges where customers consume cannabis.
Although state law allows certain growing operations to conduct retail sales, the permit issued by the county does not authorize Panta Cannabis to do so. If the business wants to have retail sales at the same location, it would have to again apply for another permit from the county, according to Berg. It can, however, open a retail location somewhere outside of county jurisdiction,
Panta Cannabis must obtain a valid license from the Office of Cannabis Management within the year, or else the county permit will be voided.
Gary Meader / Duluth Media Group
The permit allows county officials to enter the premises at “reasonable times and in a reasonable manner” to ensure compliance with conditions.
The business will be required to use a specialized statewide software system that tracks all products from seed to sale, according to Berg.
“They have it very controlled, much like liquor,” Reed said. “I don’t know how you put a stamp on every stogie, however that goes. They said there was going to be a control truck that will come and be safely hauling it.”
The county requires that any lighting, which would presumably be used to grow cannabis, must be directed away from neighboring properties. Lighting is limited from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The Carlton County Planning Commission unanimously endorsed the request on Nov. 5.
The business will invest approximately $750,000 in the county, according to Reed. It will employ about 20 people, according to Berg.
“We’re excited that we’re moving into a period of development now and looking at whatever other options can occur,” Reed said. “It’s very heartwarming, and I hope we do a lot more development of one kind or another.”
In August, the County Board
a growing operation that will be located east of Moose Lake.
Macklin Caruso is a reporter for the Cloquet Pine Journal. You can reach him at mcaruso@pinejournal.com or 218-461-8278.
