“Our liquor stores never fail compliance tests, whether for tobacco or liquor. We feel we can do the same thing within the cannabis industry.”
As some Minnesota cities fret over regulating newly legalized and normalized marijuana sales, others see an opportunity.
Elk River is among 13 Minnesota cities considering opening municipally owned cannabis stores. They would be blazing new trails in this regard, as government-run pot shops aren’t currently in use anywhere else in the country. City Administrator Cal Portner talks about Elk River’s approach as making the most of a situation.
“I don’t sense that our council is enthusiastic about the law to legalize, but they’re accepting of reality,” he said.
Revenue potential from cannabis sales, and how it can be put to use in the community, is part of the appeal. Assuring compliance is also part of it.
“Our liquor stores never fail compliance tests, whether for tobacco or liquor,” Portner said. “We feel we can do the same thing within the cannabis industry.”
The full list of cities applying to run municipal cannabis stores, according to the state’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), includes:
Anoka Blaine Buffalo Byron Elk River Grand Rapids
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