5-month cannabis business moratorium approved in St. Louis County

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Minn. (FOX 9) - As the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) begins its preapproval process of social equity applicants to sell recreational marijuana in Minnesota, St. Louis County officials have voted to put a five-month pause on allowing new businesses to register or operate.

On Tuesday, its county board voted 6-1 to approve a temporary ban, effective immediately through the end of December.

"There are a lot of details to sort through, and we need to make sure we do this properly," County Board Chair Keith Nelson said in a statement following the vote. "The legislation has undergone numerous changes and processes are still being finalized, so we felt the best option was to slow down to allow ourselves and the jurisdictions within our county more time to develop strategies that serve all our citizens."

This moratorium does not affect existing businesses selling low potency hemp products.

It applies to all jurisdictions within St. Louis County, including those cities and townships that have their own zoning authority.

Since the legalization of recreational marijuana for adults in 2023 by the Minnesota Legislature, several Minnesota cities have enacted similar measures..