Minnesota City Launching State’s First Government-Run Cannabis Dispensary

Minnesota’s first government-operated cannabis dispensary is set to open in Anoka next week, Marijuana Moment reports.

The dispensary said on social media that it will be open for business starting Wednesday, February 6, but patients will require an appointment to receive service during the grand opening period. The store will open for regular walk-in service starting on Monday, February 9.

Under the state’s cannabis legalization law, Minnesota municipalities are allowed to “establish, own, and operate a municipal cannabis store.”

“Since 1937, Anoka has successfully managed and reinvested millions in profits from our municipal liquor stores. That experience has given us a unique blueprint for the cannabis sector. — Anoka Mayor Erik Skogquist, via Marijuana Moment

While Anoka is the first municipality to launch its own cannabis retailer, at least twelve other cities in Minnesota are intending to follow suit, the report said.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) recently debuted its Cannabis Market Monitor, which shows that in the four months since adult-use sales launched in the state, retailers have sold approximately $31.1 million in adult-use cannabis products and $31.7 million in medical cannabis products. And in the last twelve months, the state experienced over $122.5 million in overall combined sales.