Sauk Rapids Approves First Cannabis Retail Store with Strict Oversight

(KNSI) – Sauk Rapids approved its first marijuana retail store Monday night, giving the green light to Cultivated Knowledge to sell cannabis products on Lincoln Avenue.

The City Council’s unanimous vote allows both growing and selling operations, but with strings attached through what’s called a conditional use permit. This special permit gives the city ongoing control over how the business operates, even though Benton County handles the actual business licensing.

City Administrator Ross Olson told KNSI News the conditional use permit system allows Sauk Rapids to regulate where cannabis stores can operate and address potential problems before they become community issues. “What we can do is to make sure that it meets the area and it fits well in the area. Some things like odors, we have conditions that, say, hey, we’re going to allow this, but if smells become offensive to neighbors, then we can revisit this.”

Olson explained the CUP makes it so the cannabis shop can’t change its business model on a dime, such as hours of operation, without the city’s blessing. “If that were to change in any way, they’d have to come back to us and make a proposal to amend their condition use permit. So there are some hooks that the council has, but it’s from a zoning and an operation, like where it’s located and how it’s going to fit into the surrounding areas.”

The city is limiting all cannabis operations to industrially zoned areas only, keeping them away from residential neighborhoods and schools. Cultivated Knowledge had previously received approval for wholesale operations before adding retail to their application.

The approval passed without any comments from council members or the public.

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