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MEMORANDUM <br />To:St. Anthony Village Planning Commission <br />From:Stephen Grittman, City Planner <br />Date:Planning Commission Meeting – August 20, 2024 <br />GC Project No.140.00 <br />Request:Cannabis – Zoning Ordinance Amendments <br />Property Address: NA <br />Property PID:NA <br />PROJECT DESCRIPTION <br />As has been discussed, the State of Minnesota has passed legislation during the 2023 legislative <br />session legalizing various aspects of cannabis use, sales, agriculture, and manufacturing. This <br />legislation follows 2022 legalization of certain low-potency hemp-based THC products. The City <br />of St. Anthony subsequently adopted regulations for hemp-THC products. <br />In August of 2023, the City adopted a moratorium on cannabis-related businesses (as <br />authorized by the legislation), in anticipation of the State’s establishment of agency and rule- <br />making activities. The State has created the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) to carry <br />out the requirements of the legislation, with an originally-anticipated start date of January, <br />2025. While that date may shift some, the City is seeking to update its zoning regulations to <br />comply with the local land use impacts of the legislation. <br />OCM has now developed a model ordinance for local government use and fine-tuning. The <br />model is attached to this report, with some updates related to aspects of the code that have <br />already been addressed, which include a prohibition on use in public places, and a separation <br />buffer from specific land uses (1,000 feet for schools, 500 feet for parks regularly used by <br />minors, and 300 feet for child care facilities and substance-abuse treatment facilities. <br />The ordinance has a few areas of local choice, but generally, the State will handle all licensing, <br />with local governments reviewing the suitability of a location per its zoning district and building <br />code compliance. There are a few areas of additional consideration, including the following: <br />1.Number of licensed retail establishments. The state requires that all jurisdictions allow <br />at least one license for every 12,500 residents – the second license kicking in at a <br />population of 12,501. This draft ordinance anticipates the City limiting its licensees to <br />the one required, although the City can choose to allow more if it wishes to do so.