The Andover City Council unanimously approved a code change related to hemp-derived THC and cannabis at its Dec. 16 meeting, replacing existing ordinances with a new chapter governing cannabis and lower-potency hemp business registration.
City Administrator Sarah Cotton said the action repeals two existing chapters of Andover City Code governing cannabinoid products and adult-use cannabis business operations. The new Chapter Nine replaces both ordinances.
Cotton said the existing ordinances had become outdated and inconsistent with Minnesota state law. The City Council discussed the proposed changes at a recent workshop, and the new chapter simplifies regulation by establishing a single registration framework aligned with state law.
Cotton highlighted distinctions in the new ordinance related to proximity restrictions and limits on the number of retailers. Those regulations now apply only to adult-use cannabis businesses and not to lower-potency hemp edible retailers.
“For example, a 1,000-foot restriction from a school would not apply to a lower-potency hemp edible retailer,” Cotton said. “That’s consistent with our current code today on cannabinoid products.”
Cotton said liquor license holders may sell THC beverages, citing the city-owned liquor store at Clocktower Commons, which is located within 500 feet of a daycare.
For adult-use cannabis businesses, the ordinance limits privately held businesses to one per 12,500 residents, Cotton said. It also establishes proximity restrictions, including prohibiting locations within 1,000 feet of a school.
Council Member Jonathan Shafto said the council had a thorough discussion of the ordinance at its most recent workshop.
“We’re getting in alignment with state law,” Shafto said. “I think everything we’ve read and talked about makes sense.”