Officials in a northwest Twin Cities suburb are looking to be at the forefront of municipal cannabis operations when retail cannabis dispensaries arrive in Minnesota next year.
In Osseo, an effort by city officials to study the ins-and-outs of operating a city-owned cannabis business is well underway ahead of state regulators opening license applications.
“We will want to be ready to go as soon as the state opens up the application window,” Osseo City Administrator Riley Grams said during an Osseo City Council work session in late January.
Officials are exploring locations to open a city-owned cannabis store, as well as preparing business and security plans for the operation.
Osseo City Council Member Mark Schulz said he hopes Osseo’s dispensary will be among the first to open in the Twin Cities in 2025, giving a major boost to the operation’s early revenue.
“Municipal or otherwise, we still want to be first to market,” he said.
The venture, if approved, will be especially novel for Osseo, which doesn’t operate any municipal liquor stores.