BEMIDJI — A proposal to open a private cannabis shop in Bemidji that was set to be considered by the city has been postponed to Dec. 18.

Bemidji resident Julie Canty submitted a request for a short-term lease to open First City Cannabis at 920 Washington Ave. S to the Bemidji Planning Commission, and the proposal was going to be considered during a meeting set for Thursday; however, the meeting was postponed to Dec. 18, due to a lack of a quorum — not enough board members could attend.

Before the next meeting, the board will hold a public hearing. It received four letters of disapproval before its scheduled meeting on Thursday.

There are three general requirements for a cannabis shop in Minnesota: it cannot operate within 500 feet of a public park or a daycare facility and it cannot operate between the hours of 9 p.m. and 10 a.m. First City Cannabis is set to pass all three measures.

Canty, who has lived in Bemidji for 17 years and is the owner of Up Thrift in the Paul Bunyan Mall, along with another business in Baxter, notes in her proposal that First City Cannabis will focus on cannabis flower, pre-rolls, vapes, edibles, concentrates and beverages.

It will operate its own flower cultivation canopy that will be used to create in-house products to be sold on-site. The proposal also says that First City Cannabis will utilize solventless extraction methods to offer rosin, water hash and other products. All other stocked items will come from Minnesota-owned businesses. The proposal estimates that the cultivation capacity will be expanded as the business grows.

Canty’s proposal also states that cannabis flower products will be the main foundation of the business, with 10 planned strains of cannabis to offer. The business will begin with around 12 employees and will expand within a designated time frame.

Canty believes that First City Cannabis will conserve both energy and water while implementing a solid waste disposal program. First City Cannabis is working under the guidelines set by the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management and will impose a 21-year-old age restriction.

It is unclear if recent federal legislation to ban most hemp-derived THC products would impact First City Cannabis, though the proposal does note that beverages will account for a small portion of the business model.

The Planning Commission meeting has been rescheduled to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18, at City Hall. The commission will hold a public hearing ahead of the meeting.