HASTINGS, Minn. (FOX 9) - The City of Hastings has voted to approve an increase to its cap on cannabis businesses, paving the way for the number of city shops to potentially double – from one to two.
Hastings cannabis cap
What we know:
The council met on Monday to discuss the latest guidance from Minnesota’s Office of Cannabis Management, after the council voted last December to impose a cap on retail cannabis businesses to only allow for one within city limits.
What they're saying:
Both prospective business owners and real estate developers who owned real estate where they might operate spoke in favor of its passage – some lobbying that the increased cap would likely need to be raised in the future.
However, council member opinions remained mixed up until the vote itself.
"I don’t have an issue with having two dispensaries in Hastings. I have an issue with telling our community one thing, and now we’re going back on that," said Dawn Marie Vihrachoff, noting she had told members in the community previously that Hastings would have one dispensary.
"This is going to be an ongoing evolution every legislative session. Some changes we may not like, but those things have to be acted on," said city council member Dave Pemble.
Under Minnesota's recreational cannabis law, cities are required to permit one retail cannabis business per 12,500 residents.
Officials say Hastings has a population of around 23,000, which the city thought meant they were only required to have one cannabis business.
However, the Office of Cannabis Management released new guidance that cities of Hastings size could have at least two retail businesses.
