By Anne Holzman

The Falcon Heights and Lauderdale city councils are considering rules for cannabis businesses, with moratoriums in both cities ending at the end of 2024.

Lauderdale has a study underway that might lead to consideration of a municipal dispensary.

 “Whether to get into the retail cannabis space won’t be decided for some time,” City Administrator Heather Butkowski told the Bugle in early November. Falcon Heights is not considering that option.

Meanwhile, both cities are considering how to use zoning and license approval to affect the scope and locations of allowable businesses.

Under Minnesota state law, cities have to allow a retail cannabis business for every 12,500 people living there. Both cities are well below that figure, so would have to allow one each.

Beyond that, they can approve more at their discretion. Cities are included in the state’s regulatory process but do not issue the actual licenses, though they will be involved in enforcement of the rules.

As of early November, Falcon Heights had a draft ordinance restricting placement within 1,000 feet of an elementary school or 500 feet of a daycare, although those distances may not matter if zoning steers the businesses farther away. 

The Falcon Heights Planning Commission considered the options in October and suggested the Snelling-Larpenteur business district would be the most appropriate area to allow cannabis businesses. The commission also considered limiting hours of business as permitted by the state.

Lauderdale city staff was expected to bring an ordinance affecting cannabis businesses to their city council in late November.

Anne Holzman is a Twin Cities freelance writer for the Bugle covering Falcon Heights and Lauderdale government news.