Minnesota’s first municipal cannabis dispensary opens in Anoka – FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul
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The government is getting into the marijuana market, as 13 Minnesota cities are in line to launch their own cannabis retail businesses. FOX 9’s Corin Hoggard has the details.
ANOKA CO., Minn. (FOX 9) – Minnesota’s first-ever government-run cannabis dispensary has officially opened its doors in Anoka County.
What we know:
The Anoka Cannabis Company held a ribbon-cutting on Thursday, and opened on Friday at 839 East River Road, next to the city’s municipal liquor store.
The 3,000-square-foot building will only be open to pre-order reservations throughout its opening weekend, before making cannabis flower, vapes, edibles, drinks and accessories available to all walk-in customers on Monday.
Anoka County officials broke ground on the dispensary last May, and completed construction in January.
Dig deeper:
Officials with the dispensary hope the location will become profitable within its first year of operation, with associated taxes then benefiting county residents.
"Almost all of our income from this is going to be going right back into the city in situations such as levy breaks, and the making of new parks, recreational facilities, that kind of stuff," said Stephanie Rietz, the Anoka Cannabis supervisor, previously told FOX 9.
But unlike with municipal liquor stores, cities cannot enforce a monopoly, so they’ll likely have competition ahead once other entrepreneurs gain approvals.
What’s next:
The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has received 12 other applications for cannabis retail licenses, including:
Officials with Osseo have previously said they hope to have their own operations approved, and opened, by the end of 2026.
The Source: This story uses information shared by Anoka officials and previous FOX 9 reporting.
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