BRAINERD — With last year’s legalization of recreational marijuana in Minnesota, Brainerd officials are looking to get ahead of demand and create citywide guidelines for cannabis dispensaries in the city.
While city staff have not yet heard from anyone with intentions of opening a dispensary, they’d like to have regulations in place if and when the time comes.
Planning Commission members reviewed proposed language for an ordinance during their meeting Wednesday, March 20. Community Development Director James Kramvik said he reviewed legislation from other municipalities when drafting the language for Brainerd.
Commission Chair Don Gorham asked if there was any guidance from the state Office of Cannabis Management, and Kramvik said it sounds like the department is understaffed at this time and doesn’t plan on issuing statewide regulations on dispensaries any time soon.
Kramvik’s proposal states cannabis dispensaries would only be allowed in six of the city’s zoning districts — General Commercial, Commercial Corridor, Main Street, Town Center, Makers and Employment, and General Industrial. While the Traditional Neighborhood 2 district also allows for commercial use, Kramvik said those areas are excluded from the ordinance, as they are lower traffic areas where a developer is unlikely to spend the $500,000 to $1 million needed
