Minnesota's legalization of cannabis has created a new regulatory challenge for cities like Edina. State law requires municipalities to allow cannabis retailers but gives them significant control over local rules—including how many licenses to issue, where stores can locate, and what fees to charge. The Edina City Council used its retreat meeting to provide clear direction to city staff on these key decisions.

City staff presented initial recommendations developed by a cross-departmental committee involving planning, health, administration, and other departments. Under state law, Edina could allow up to one cannabis license per 12,500 residents, but the council is considering capping licenses at five. Staff also recommended zoning rules similar to those governing tobacco and liquor stores, using the city's existing Planned Commercial District classifications (PCD1, PCD2, and PCD3). These zones range from smaller neighborhood commercial areas like Valley View and Wooddale to larger commercial districts like Southdale.

The ordinance will also address registration fees and buffer zones—distances cannabis retailers must maintain from sensitive locations like schools. City staff acknowledged the complexity of the task. "It's been an interesting thing," one staff member said. "We've had a group of staff working on it from planning to health to administration and other departments, so we've gotten input from lots of places. We're trying to make a good decision for the current time, and this is a new thing for the state, so hopefully we hit the sweet spot."

The council voted to direct staff to proceed with drafting the ordinance based on the presented recommendations. No dissenting votes were recorded. The next steps involve staff developing the full ordinance text incorporating the council's directives on license limits, zoning parameters, and other regulatory details. Edina residents can expect to see the proposed ordinance brought back to the council for further review and public input in coming months.