BRAINERD — Brainerd is now ready for 2025, when retail sales of recreational adult use cannabis will be open in Minnesota.
City Council members voted 5-2 Monday, June 17, 2024, on
regulations for the time, sale and manner of recreational cannabis
in the city, along with
and requirements for dispensaries.
State regulations require municipalities to allow no fewer than one cannabis business per 12,500 people. With Brainerd’s population over 14,000, the city will allow up to two businesses, per the ordinance council members passed Monday night. Under the same guidelines, Crow Wing County must allow up to six cannabis businesses. If there were to be six registered in the county and only one in Brainerd, the city would not be obligated to issue registration for a second business. Council President Kelly Bevans voted against the regulations, saying after the meeting he would prefer the county to make the first move, as those six applications would take priority over Brainerd’s. Crow Wing County has not yet developed a cannabis ordinance.
“And we may not have any anyway,” Bevans said. City staff noted they have not yet heard from anyone with plans to open a dispensary.
Council member Jeff Czeczok was the other dissenting vote. He said after the meeting he would just rather not see cannabis sold in Brainerd.
The city will impose a $500 initial retail fee on a cannabis business and a renewal registration fee of $1,000.
The ordinance prohibits cannabis businesses from operating within 100 feet from a school, residential treatment facility or attraction within a public park that is regularly used by minors, like a playground or athletic field. A conditional use permit is required for a dispensary to operate within 300 feet of those same facilities. Retail cannabis businesses are restricted to operating in commercial zoning districts.
The growing and manufacturing of cannabis products are allowed in the general industrial zoning district with a conditional use permit.
Because the ordinance restricts cannabis dispensaries to commercial districts, city staff proposed treating off-sale liquor businesses the same. That means off-sale liquor stores are now removed from the traditional neighborhood 2 zoning district. That district is meant for a mix of residential and neighborhood-serving commercial uses and allows businesses such as bed and breakfasts, veterinary clinics, boarding houses, commercial day care facilities, restaurants, nursing homes and health clubs, among others.
The only off-sale liquor business in a traditional neighborhood 2 zoning district at this time is Mill Avenue Liquor, which is currently up for sale. The business could continue operating as a liquor store but would become legal nonconforming, meaning it would be prohibited from expanding its footprint.
The change does not affect gas stations, as they only sell products with a 3.2% alcohol content and therefore do not have liquor licenses.
Both measures, setting guidelines for cannabis dispensaries and setting retail fees, passed 5-2.
THERESA BOURKE may be reached at
theresa.bourke@brainerddispatch.com
or 218-855-5860. Follow her on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/DispatchTheresa
.
Theresa Bourke started working at the Dispatch in July 2018, covering Brainerd city government and area education, including Brainerd Public Schools and Central Lakes College.
