Special to the St. Cloud Times
ST. JOSEPH — St. Joseph won’t be seeing a dispensary open up anytime soon. Uncertainty behind the state’s direction with cannabis business licenses led City Council to unanimously approve banning dispensaries until 2025.
“We don’t want to begin allowing (dispensaries) within St. Joseph — guide them through the infancy of their business, establish safe regulations and (watch these) businesses expend capital — only to have the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management iron out prospective rules, laws and guidelines that could effectively shutter or greatly hinder a business’ operations,” Councilmember Adam Scepaniak told the St. Cloud Times.
The early April decision also gives city staff time to further study the cannabis industry and its impact on the community. St. Joseph’s ban is set to end on Jan. 1 when the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management is expected to roll out its new licensing process. The state tasked the OCM to oversee this process when it legalized recreational cannabis use last year.
