ST. CLOUD — The St. Cloud City Council moved to postpone a vote that would’ve established the second recreational cannabis dispensary within city limits at its meeting on Monday, Oct. 6.

The applicant, Rise Dispensary, is seeking an amendment to a planned unit development that would allow the retail sale of recreational cannabis in addition to its existing medical sales at 3800 Third St. N. The business has been operating with medical cannabis sales in that location as a “drug store,” one of the uses allowed under city code.

Carol Moss, an attorney at Hellmuth & Johnson, represented the business on Monday night and said the dispensary has been serving patients since 2015.

Moss said Rise, formerly known as LeafLine Labs, has obtained a license that combines medical and retail cannabis.

Trent Abrego / St. Cloud LIVE

“We wish to confer to the council that serving the medical patients is still the priority of RISE, and that’s still where we’re putting our energy, though this is a new allowance under this new license,” Moss said.

The St. Cloud Planning Commission previously recommended approval for the item; however, council members had some outstanding questions, including council member Scott Brodeen, who questioned some of the findings. Others questioned allowing an amendment to the planned unit development.

Brodeen pointed to a planning commission analysis that said “the proposed planned unit development is not detrimental, nor does it endanger the public, safety, comfort, or general welfare of any portion of the community.”

He said the building is near a senior living facility.

“When we had a previous application to sell recreational marijuana, one of the points in favor of it was that it was close to seniors,” council member Karen Larson said. “Many of them use marijuana medicinally.”

Brodeen also questioned the proximity of Rise Dispensary and BBC Park.

Contributed / Scott Brodeen

The two property lines are 503 feet apart, but Rise Dispensary is 600 feet from the playground and basketball court, meeting the city’s standard of “between the property line and attraction itself,” Community Development Director Matt Glaesman said.

“I think that people get weed, people go to the park; that’s absolutely gonna be injurious to the enjoyment of the park,” Brodeen said, before voicing concerns about property values and impeding “normal and orderly development and improvement of surrounding properties.”

Rise Medical Dispensary moved from 141 33rd Ave. S in St. Cloud to 3800 Third St. N., in
May of 2024
.

“Should the council reject this amendment on the PUD, I would be concerned that not allowing us to go into the recreational sales could hamstring the business significantly and question whether this was a good fit,” Moss said.

After a lengthy discussion, Larson asked St. Cloud City Attorney Renee Courtney if the city had any indication of whether or not businesses adjacent to the city’s lone recreational cannabis dispensary, Waabigwan Mashkiki, at the former Rise location, had been impacted.

Courtney said she had not been aware of any reports.

Contributed / City of St. Cloud

“I’m about ready to make a motion to postpone to the next meeting until we can gather more information about the possible impact of denial on the possibility of dispensing medical marijuana, which is something I don’t want to get lost, because people need that medicine,” Larson said, before making the motion. “On the other hand, it seems like we could use more information about the possible impacts.”

Council member Hudda Ibrahim seconded Larson’s motion for postponement and highlighted her concerns about increased foot traffic and neighborhood safety.

Moss, along with Rachel Loeber, compliance manager for Rise, declined comment to reporters following the postponement of the vote.

The city will continue to discuss the item at its Monday, Oct. 20 meeting at City Hall, 1201 Seventh St. S.

• The Ayers Mill Pond Planned Unit Development was amended to allow 21 single-family, detached homes at 206 29th Ave. SE, and three single-family, detached homes at 480 29th Ave. S. 
• Three properties, 730 Anderson Ave. (the former FDC building), 5 and 11 McLeland Road, were rezoned to commercial districts.
• A temporary on-sale liquor permit was awarded to the Greater St. Cloud Development Corp. (GSDC) for a concert Oct. 25 in the former Press Bar lot. The permit is for the Downtown Alliance to host an outdoor concert as part of St. Cloud State University homecoming. GSDC is the fiscal host of the Downtown Alliance.
• The council approved the reappointment of Nancy Gohman to the St. Cloud Housing and Redevelopment Authority Board for a term to expire on Oct. 31, 2028.
• The council approved the appointment of Dave Sherwood to the Board of Examiners for Heating and Installers for a term to expire on March 1, 2028.