Lake County Commissioners Approve Updates to Cannabis Ordinance, Effective April 3

Cannabis operators and applicants in Lake County have roughly 24 hours to absorb a new set of rules: amendments to Cannabis Ordinance #29, approved unanimously by the Planning Commission on March 16 and adopted by the county board eight days later, take effect Thursday.

The amendments build on Ordinance #29, which the county board first adopted and made effective January 1, 2025. The Planning Commission held a work session on the proposed revisions earlier this year before convening a formal public hearing March 16 at the Law Enforcement Center, 613 Third Avenue, Two Harbors.

Commissioner Guenthner moved to forward the proposed language to the county board, and the vote came back 7-0: Hoops, Sve, Bathke, J. Ernest, B. Ernest, Ellefson, and Guenthner all in favor, none opposed. That same evening the commission tabled related changes to Land Use Ordinance #12 and Subdivision Ordinance #9, pushing that discussion to its April 20 hearing.

The Lake County Board of Commissioners adopted the cannabis amendments by resolution on March 24. Formal notice followed on March 31, leaving businesses and applicants less than a week to review the full text before Thursday's effective date.

Under Minnesota law, counties can prohibit cannabis businesses within 1,000 feet of a school and within 500 feet of a day care provider, residential treatment facility, or public park attraction regularly used by minors. Changes to Ordinance #29 can shift which parcels qualify for cannabis uses, what conditions attach to retail licenses and hemp product registrations, and how cannabis events are permitted. With Lake County's population of roughly 10,855 sitting below the state's 12,500-per-retailer threshold, the rules governing the county's licensing framework carry significant weight for each individual applicant.

The county's Environmental Services / Planning & Zoning office handles technical questions. Staff can be reached at planningandzoning@co.lake.mn.us or 218-834-8325. The board resolution and full amendment text are posted on the Lake County website under the March 31 public notice.