ELY — Marijuana enterprises looking to set up shop in St. Louis County will face a longer runway following the passage of a five-month moratorium on the launch of any new cannabis businesses adopted Tuesday.
The St. Louis County Board of Commissioners voted 6-1 to approve the moratorium, with Ashley Grimm dissenting. The stated purpose of the temporary pause is “to provide local units of government with more time to determine how they will regulate this new industry, including zoning and enforcement implications,” according to a news release issued after the decision.
“My main concern is it completely gets rid of the leg-up we could provide for local businesses,” Grimm said. “So, large corporations with huge marketing budgets could essentially become the equivalent of big tobacco and the types of organizations that got us into the opioid crisis. I’m afraid those folks are going to be controlling the market unless we help small businesses succeed.”
Regardless of how people feel about the legalization of recreational marijuana use, Grimm said it is a reality local governments must recognize since the passage of state legislation in 2023.
The county issued a statement saying the moratorium “applies to all jurisdictions within St. Louis County, including those cities and townships that have their own zoning authority.”
The moratorium will not impact existing businesses that already sell relatively low-potency hemp products. But County Board Chair Keith Nelson said many details still need to be addressed.
“The legislation has undergone numerous changes and processes are still being finalized,” he said in a statement Tuesday. “So, we felt the best option was to slow down to allow ourselves and the jurisdictions within our county more time to develop strategies that serve all our citizens.”
Peter Passi covers city and county government for the Duluth News Tribune. He joined the paper in April 2000, initially as a business reporter but has worked a number of beats through the years.
