--- title: Mankato Goes Green with 4 New Cannabis Shops! description: Mankato is gearing up to welcome its first recreational cannabis shops, with city officials finalizing local regulations, zoning rules, and license fees. image: https://420intel.com/hubfs/martijn-baudoin-VQQulkhC8CA-unsplash.jpg --- [![420intel.com](https://420intel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Asset%2016-1.png?width=300&height=162&name=Asset%2016-1.png "420intel.com")](https://420intel.com) - [Home](https://420intel.com) - [Advertise](https://420intel.com/advertise) - [Directory](https://420intel.com/directory) - [Topics](https://420intel.com/blog) - [Recreational News](https://420intel.com/blog/tag/recreational-cannabis-news) - [Business News](https://420intel.com/tag/cannabis-business-news) - [Politics](https://420intel.com/tag/cannabis-politics) - [Technology](https://420intel.com/tag/cannabis-technology-news) - [Research](https://420intel.com/tag/medical-cannabis-news) - [Contact](https://420intel.com/contact-us) - [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/420intel) - [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/420-intel/) - [Follow us on Twitter](https://x.com/420intel) - [Follow us on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/420intel) ### Press ESC to close [![420intel.com](https://420intel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Asset%2016-1.png?width=300&height=162&name=Asset%2016-1.png "420intel.com")](https://420intel.com) - [Home](https://420intel.com) - [Advertise](https://420intel.com/advertise) - [Directory](https://420intel.com/directory) - [Topics](https://420intel.com/blog) - [Recreational News](https://420intel.com/blog/tag/recreational-cannabis-news) - [Business News](https://420intel.com/tag/cannabis-business-news) - [Politics](https://420intel.com/tag/cannabis-politics) - [Technology](https://420intel.com/tag/cannabis-technology-news) - [Research](https://420intel.com/tag/medical-cannabis-news) - [Contact](https://420intel.com/contact-us) - [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/420intel) - [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/420-intel/) - [Follow us on Twitter](https://x.com/420intel) - [Follow us on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/420intel) # Mankato Goes Green with 4 New Cannabis Shops! - [![Buzz](https://420intel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Buzz-No%20Outline-2.png?width=80&height=80&name=Buzz-No%20Outline-2.png) Buzz](https://420intel.com/blog/author/buzz) - [Recreational Cannabis News](https://420intel.com/blog/tag/recreational-cannabis-news) - 8 September 2025 **Mankato** is on the verge of welcoming its first recreational cannabis shops, though opening dates and locations remain unknown. According to City Manager Susan Arntz, the city has now met its “four-applicant threshold,” meaning that **Mankato** residents could soon have four competitors vying for their business once state licensing is complete. State law set a minimum of four retail cannabis locations for **Mankato** based on population, and the City Council chose to stick with that minimum during the initial phase of Minnesota’s legalization of recreational marijuana. All four applicants have received preliminary zoning approval, with two nearly through the regulatory process and two more still completing bureaucratic steps. At least two additional entrepreneurs have expressed interest in opening cannabis shops in **Mankato**, but they’ve been placed on a waiting list in case one of the initial four fails to move forward. Arntz said it’s unclear whether any of the shops will open before the end of 2025: “It’s moving at a very slow pace this year.” Meanwhile, **Mankato** is preparing to finalize its local cannabis ordinance and licensing fees at Monday night’s council meeting. The revisions reflect changes made by the state Legislature and the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management. Initially, the state was expected to vet applications first, but now local governments like **Mankato** must review zoning compliance upfront, with applicants returning for a final round of inspections after state background checks and preliminary licensing. This two-step process adds administrative expense for **Mankato**, on top of the ongoing compliance checks required to ensure no sales to minors. When **Mankato** wrote its original cannabis ordinance a year ago, it set license fees at about one-third of the maximum allowed by law to better match actual regulatory costs. However, after lawmakers increased the state cannabis sales tax from 10% to 15% and diverted all proceeds to the state’s general fund, **Mankato** raised its local fees to the maximum. Annual licenses for retail cannabis shops are now $1,000 instead of $350, while fees for lower-potency hemp retailers selling THC-infused edibles and beverages will rise to $125 from $100. Although these higher fees won’t fully make up for the lost revenue-sharing, **Mankato** officials believe they’re closer to covering costs. The City Council is expected to adopt the new fees and ordinance changes following a public hearing Monday at 6 p.m., marking another milestone in **Mankato’s** transition to a regulated recreational cannabis market.   [by  Mankato Free Press](https://www.mankatofreepress.com/news/local_news/mankato-prepares-for-four-cannabis-retailers/article_c1abb0cf-81b7-4459-a0c3-3913020babd7.html)   [Recreational Cannabis News](https://420intel.com/blog/tag/recreational-cannabis-news) ![Buzz](https://420intel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Buzz-No%20Outline-2.png?width=200&height=200&name=Buzz-No%20Outline-2.png) #### [Buzz](https://420intel.com/blog/author/buzz) At 420 Intel, we cover cannabis legalization news throughout the world, offer reliable information for cannabis business owners, detail technological advances that impact the marijuana industry, cover marijuana rallies from across the globe, and everything in between. - - - [Medical Cannabis News](https://420intel.com/blog/tag/medical-cannabis-news) [![Empowering: The Case for Federal Cannabis Reform](https://420intel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Empowering%20The%20Case%20for%20Federal%20Cannabis%20Reform.png?width=550&height=395&name=Empowering%20The%20Case%20for%20Federal%20Cannabis%20Reform.png)](https://420intel.com/blog/empowering-case-federal-cannabis-reform) - [Admin](https://420intel.com/blog/author/admin) - 7 March 2024 #### [Empowering: The Case for Federal Cannabis Reform](https://420intel.com/blog/empowering-case-federal-cannabis-reform) ## The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) is seeking to revoke the licenses of 165 grow... [Cannabis Laws](https://420intel.com/blog/tag/cannabis-laws) [![Massive Redway Bust: 5000+ Cannabis Plants Seized](https://420intel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AI-Generated%20Media/Images/A%20dimly%20lit%20room%20cluttered%20with%20large%20plastic%20pots%20overflowing%20with%20lush%20green%20cannabis%20plants%20their%20leaves%20vibrant%20and%20glistening%20under%20the%20harsh%20fluorescent%20lights%20In%20one%20corner%20stacks%20of%20carefully%20arranged%20plastic%20bags%20filled%20with%20processed%20cannab-1.jpeg?width=550&height=395&name=A%20dimly%20lit%20room%20cluttered%20with%20large%20plastic%20pots%20overflowing%20with%20lush%20green%20cannabis%20plants%20their%20leaves%20vibrant%20and%20glistening%20under%20the%20harsh%20fluorescent%20lights%20In%20one%20corner%20stacks%20of%20carefully%20arranged%20plastic%20bags%20filled%20with%20processed%20cannab-1.jpeg)](https://420intel.com/blog/massive-redway-bust-5000-cannabis-plants-seized) - [![Buzz](https://420intel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Buzz-No%20Outline-2.png?width=80&height=80&name=Buzz-No%20Outline-2.png) Buzz](https://420intel.com/blog/author/buzz) - 9 May 2025 #### [Massive Redway Bust: 5000+ Cannabis Plants Seized](https://420intel.com/blog/massive-redway-bust-5000-cannabis-plants-seized) On May 7, 2025, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Marijuana Enforcement Team (MET) executed a... [Marijuana legalization](https://420intel.com/blog/tag/marijuana-legalization) [![Humboldt Marijuana Team Leads Major Mendocino Raid](https://420intel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/elsa-olofsson-Bc8ciuKVIZM-unsplash-1.jpg?width=550&height=395&name=elsa-olofsson-Bc8ciuKVIZM-unsplash-1.jpg)](https://420intel.com/blog/humboldt-marijuana-team-leads-major-mendocino-raid) - [![Buzz](https://420intel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Buzz-No%20Outline-2.png?width=80&height=80&name=Buzz-No%20Outline-2.png) Buzz](https://420intel.com/blog/author/buzz) - 26 September 2025 #### [Humboldt Marijuana Team Leads Major Mendocino Raid](https://420intel.com/blog/humboldt-marijuana-team-leads-major-mendocino-raid) On September 23, 2025, the **Humboldt Marijuana Enforcement Team** once again demonstrated its central... - [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/420intel) - [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/420intel) - [Follow us on Twitter](https://twitter.com/420intel) - [Follow us on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/420intel) Back to Top ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Buzz", "url" : "https://420intel.com/blog/author/buzz" }, "dateModified" : "2025-10-17T20:24:13.465Z", "datePublished" : "2025-09-08T11:30:51.000Z", "headline" : "Mankato Goes Green with 4 New Cannabis Shops!", "image" : [ "https://420intel.com/hubfs/martijn-baudoin-VQQulkhC8CA-unsplash.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://420intel.com/blog/mankato-goes-green-with-4-new-cannabis-shops", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://420intel.com/hubfs/Asset%2016.png" }, "name" : "420 Intel" } } ```