(ABC 6 News) — Cannabis has been a budding industry in SE Minnesota as recently, both Albert Lea and LeRoy have expanded their local markets.

It was not an overnight development to bring in the new business to LeRoy. Itarrived after months of paperwork, applications, and the necessary approval from Mower County.

It’s a process that two cannabis retailers are working through right now in Albert Lea after being approved by the city council this week.

Related: Albert Lea City Council approves two cannabis registrations

“I think, you know, the cannabis community is probably one of the coolest communities to function in because we’re all walks of life are welcome,” said Jerry Collins, the owner of Big Dream Organics in Albert Lea.

Collins has been selling hemp-derived products since 2019, and after receiving city approval, his business along with one other is cleared to expand into THC-derived cannabis products. The move officially made it one of four cannabis retailers in Albert Lea.

“It’ll be an exciting time. We’re looking forward to business picking up. It’s definitely been a little bit of a struggle,” said Collins.

Collins described the current industry as oversaturated by large multi-state operations. It’s a market he says is currently struggling as regulations continue to change, and supplies remain limited across the state.

“We should have started with cultivation licenses immediately or at least a year out from our projected ‘go live’ date,” Collins said.

Even with those challenges, the industry continues to steadily grow with momentum already being seen across SE Minnesota.

“Yesterday we had our ribbon cutting, just kind of signifying, you know, our grand opening for Zenith Horizon dispensary,” said owner Abraham Algadi.

The new LeRoy dispensary officially opened their doors on Wednesday, becoming the first cannabis retailer in Mower County.

The milestone is one that Algadi said was time-consuming but worth it.

“It was a long road to get here. And, you know, we’re happy to be part of the community. I feel honored to be, you know, kind of have this it feels like a privilege, honestly, to be able to do this,” he said.

It’s just one more addition to an expanding market — one both Algadi and Collins say they are ready to grow with.