Eden Prairie is considering a new ordinance that would limit the number of cannabis retail stores to five. Each store would need to be situated at least 1,000 feet away from schools and at least 200 feet apart from each other. The City Council plans to discuss this proposal in a meeting on Tuesday, April 1, at 7 p.m. at the Eden Prairie City Center.
These regulations are being proposed as Minnesota prepares to begin licensing cannabis businesses in the coming months. The legalization of recreational cannabis use in Minnesota was enacted by the Legislature in 2023. While local governments have limited power to regulate cannabis sales, state law permits “buffer zones” around retailers, which is one of the few restrictions they can impose.
According to state law, each local area must have at least one cannabis retailer for every 12,500 residents. Eden Prairie intends to adhere to this requirement, establishing a maximum of five retail businesses for now. The City Council has previously discussed these regulations in several workshops, with the most recent discussions occurring in October. However, Tuesday’s meeting will mark the first formal action regarding the ordinance.
