A small city in Minnesota is opening a municipal cannabis store, a fairly uncommon approach in most states with legal cannabis markets.
According to CCX Media, Osseo city officials authorized the purchase of a former newspaper office and finalized plans this week to turn it into a city-run dispensary. The city has partnered with Voyageur, a third-party management firm, to run the retail store.
City officials had been working with the Red Pine Group on the project but decided to go with Voyageur after some Osseo City Council members said they were not impressed with Red Pine's presentation on the project, calling the contractor "aloof."
Through the current agreement, workers at the city-run dispensary will be employees of Voyageur and not the city of Osseo.
Osseo is not the only city in Minnesota that applied to run a municipal cannabis store. Anoka, Blaine, Buffalo, Byron, Elk River, Grand Rapids, Lauderdale, Mounds View, St. Anthony Village, St. Joseph, Owatonna and Wyoming also sought approval for city-run retail.
As the MinnPost points out, the municipalities are pioneering the program since government-run cannabis retail shops are not currently being used in any other parts of the country.
