Brooklyn Center Council Approves Cannabis Business Moratorium Through 2024

The Brooklyn Center City Council approved a cannabis business moratorium on June 12. It runs through the end of 2024.

The decision comes after the state legislature approved a law legalizing recreational cannabis effective Aug. 1.

During the moratorium, recreational cannabis businesses will not be allowed within the city. 

The council voted 4-0 to approve the moratorium.

According to Jason Hill, city attorney, the regulation of cannabis businesses will be largely administered the new state Office of Cannabis Management. 

The Brooklyn Center City Council approved a cannabis business moratorium on June 12.

However, that office does not exist yet. Hill estimated that it will take at least a year for the office to get fully up and running. The office begins its work on July 1.

Likewise, the 300-plus page bill legalizing cannabis left unanswered questions related to city control over cannabis licensing. 

For instance, the new law tasks the Office of Cannabis Management with working alongside city governments to develop reasonable restrictions on the time, place and manner of operation for cannabis businesses. The state has not yet established those restrictions. 

“I think a lot of other cities are going to do the same thing,” Hill said. “If the licensing process gets rolled out and there’s an interest in doing that, it can be repealed at any point.”

Cities can also create zoning and land-use laws governing where cannabis stores can be located. 

That said, cities cannot outright ban cannabis businesses from operating within their limits. 

“I just want to make sure we don’t miss the bus in Brooklyn Center [for] the positives,” said Mayor April Graves.

Brooklyn Center enacted a separate, one-year moratorium on lower-potency THC edibles in 2022. That moratorium sunsets in August. 

Brooklyn Center