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November 26, 2024 St. Anthony Council Work Session - 3 <br />Patrick Hurley from Voyageur Cannabis Services reviewed a PowerPoint including Executive Summary, <br />Market Insights, Strategic Alignment, Financial Strategy, Marketing and Growth Strategy, Organizational <br />Structure, Implementation Timeline, and Next Steps. <br />Mr. Erley noted St. Anthony is not subject to the lottery system and allows St. Anthony to shape how <br />cannabis is distributed. He reviewed the strategic benefits of a municipal dispensary being enhanced <br />local revenue, improved public health and safety and community engagement and development. <br />Minnesota’s legal marijuana sales are projected to reach $1.5B by 2029. <br />Councilmember Randle arrived at the meeting at 5:38 p.m. <br />Councilmember Elnagdy arrived at 5:40 p.m. <br />Mr. Erley reviewed the regulatory considerations. The six building blocks for developing the business <br />case for St. Anthony’s dispensary were reviewed. In reviewing the business model, he noted there is a <br />potential for a delivery service. Store location, facilities, and utility expenses were reviewed for the two <br />locations. The recommendation is to exclude the 2945 Pentagon Drive location due to zoning <br />restrictions near schools, proposed location is very close to a Montessori. Comprehensive Security <br />Measures are necessary for dispensary safety and compliance. The best partners for optimized <br />operations need to be selected. Metric Tracking System is the industry standard and is State-mandated. <br />The revenue projections were reviewed. Revenue is forecasted for immediate growth and market <br />adoption with year 1 estimates exceeding $3 million. Total estimated investment costs are >$500,000 <br />over five years over three phases. Marketing Strategies for Cannabis Dispensary were reviewed. <br />Mayor Webster asked when was it originally on the timeline for licenses to be granted. Mr. Erley stated <br />November was when the drawing was to be held. She asked if cities would be contacted prior to the <br />lottery “winners” being announced. Mr. Erley stated once someone was selected they would reach out <br />to the City. <br />Councilmember Jenson asked if there is a deadline for applying for a license and Mr. Erley noted there is <br />no rush as there is nothing in the Statute about when a municipality with a license needed to act. <br />Councilmember Randle asked what social equity applicant means. Mr. Erley responded there are a lot of <br />different qualifiers (military veteran, social-economic variables, been charged with a crime related to <br />cannabis). The first round was for social equity applicants to enter the lottery. <br />Councilmember Jenson referred to the executive summary stating St. Anthony needs to move fast. Mr. <br />Erley stated it would be advantageous to have the first dispensary in St. Anthony to obtain the most <br />market share. Councilmember Jenson stated he feels that competitive advantage is based on price and <br />quality of the product. <br />Councilmember Elnagdy stated there is a huge benefit to be first up and running. <br />Mayor Webster stated our liquor stores have a huge following. Mr. Erley stated Minnesota is the first <br />state to allow cannabis sales in municipal liquor stores. <br />Councilmember Doolan referred to the revenue curve and compared it to the business case for <br />operating net cash. She asked what is built into the net margins and what drives the profit margins. Mr. <br />Erley stated the first graph was looking at state-wide trends. <br />4