MPR News reports on the challenges facing Minnesota’s cannabis industry rollout, with Hellmuth & Johnson attorney Carol Moss providing key legal insights. Local municipalities are creating barriers for licensed cannabis businesses despite state legalization in 2023. A city zoning code blocked a microbusiness from launching in Silver Bay, exemplifying broader conflicts between state law and local ordinances. Moss, who serves on the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) Cannabis Advisory Council, explains that approximately 20 municipalities have enacted conflicting restrictions, from excessive buffer zones to impossible zoning requirements. She warns these barriers particularly hurt small, social-equity applicants who lack resources for costly litigation, although Moss predicts legal challenges are inevitable.
Read the full article for detailed examples of specific municipal restrictions and ongoing legal battles.