Brainerd Moving Ahead to 2nd Reading of Retail Cannabis License Ordinance

Cannabis was legalized for recreational use in Minnesota in 2023. Although residents in many cities haven’t yet been able to purchase it, a ruling at Brainerd’s latest city council meeting may change that for city residents.

On Monday, the council voted to move forward with the second reading of an ordinance that would allow dispensaries to apply for a retail license on a first-come, first-served basis.

There was discussion about moving forward with a merit-based system for distributing the licenses. But city finance director Connie Hillman says the state may begin the distribution of licenses before all of the necessary information is collected.

“Why staff is recommending the first-come, first-serve is because we need to have something in our ordinances before we have to start issuing these registrations,” explained Hillman. “And that could be in the next couple of weeks.”

The ordinance’s second reading and potential approval will happen at the council’s next scheduled meeting on May 5th.

It’s still not clear when the state will allow dispensaries to open in cities in Minnesota. Currently, only tribal-owned dispensaries are open.