Regulating Cannabis in Marine: 6 Things to Know

  1. Minnesota cities cannot ban cannabis retail.
    The state requires all municipalities to allow cannabis retail uses in some fashion. Cities may choose to limit the number of retail licenses in the city to one license per 12,500 residents. For Marine, this means that the City must allow for the potential establishment of at least one cannabis retail business.

  2. Local governments must allow cultivation and other cannabis-related activities.
    Like the requirement to allow retail, municipalities cannot ban cannabis cultivation, processing, transport, storage, or temporary events. These uses must be allowed in some way within the city boundaries.

  3. Cities can set reasonable restrictions on time, place, and manner of cannabis business operations.
    The City of Marine has the authority to:
  • Limit hours of operation to the hours between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m., seven days a week.  
  • Set limited buffers around schools, day cares, playgrounds, and athletic fields where cannabis businesses may not be located.
  • Determine the appropriate zoning districts for each type of cannabis business based on the activities allowed under their license type.

  1. Smoking, vaping, and cannabis consumption are not allowed in Marine’s public spaces.
    Cannabis consumption – smoking, vaping, eating, drinking – has been prohibited in Marine’s public spaces since August 2023 (City Code, Chapter 32). This includes parks, sidewalks, and streets. Smoking and vaping are allowed on privately-owned outdoor premises such as a restaurant patio, pursuant to the same regulations as tobacco.

  2. The City of Marine is balancing new rules with local community needs.
    Regulations will permit the City of Marine to allow for the adult-use cannabis businesses required by the state while limiting potential negative impacts on neighbors, children, and public safety.

  3. The ordinance will evolve over time. 
    Because state cannabis laws are so new, our local ordinance will almost certainly need modifications in the future. Once the City of Marine has tried and tested its regulations, and if there is evidence of market demand, the limits set this year could be changed.

 

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