The City of Anoka is entering the cannabis business, opening the first city-owned cannabis dispensary in Minnesota and the only one of its kind currently operating in the country.

The Anoka Cannabis Company held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and officially opened its doors Thursday. City leaders call it a major milestone.

“Our residents want safe, vibrant, and well-maintained communities while keeping taxes as low as practicable. The Anoka Cannabis Company allows the city of Anoka to do just that,” Mayor Erik Skogquist said.

The goal is to keep cannabis sales regulated, transparent and community-focused. 

Kevin Morelli, enterprise operations director for the City of Anoka, says revenue could help fund a wide range of local projects.

“All the money that the city will make can go to parks, river projects, social district expenses, possibly even reducing the levy,” Morelli said.

While the dispensary itself is new, the concept of city-run retail is familiar territory for Anoka. The city already operates municipal liquor stores and manages a seasonal social district that draws crowds during the summer and fall.

City officials and Anoka Cannabis Company’s management say education will be a major focus, especially as customers navigate legal cannabis for the first time.