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<br />Page 1 of 5 <br /> <br />PC Agenda Item – 3A <br /> MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />DATE: November 6, 2024 <br /> <br />TO: Planning Commission Chair and Commissioners <br /> <br />FROM: T.J. Hofer, Consultant Planner <br /> <br />SUBJECT: Planning Case #24-019 – Public Hearing Required <br /> Applicant: City of Arden Hills <br />Request: Zoning Code Amendments Discussion – Chapter 13, Section 1305, <br />1320, 1325 – Cannabis Zoning Standards <br /> <br />Requested Action <br /> <br />The City of Arden Hills is proposing a text amendment to the zoning ordinance to establish <br />definitions for cannabis uses, determine zoning districts for cannabis uses, and establish <br />performance standards for cannabis uses. <br /> <br />Zoning Code Text Amendments <br /> <br />In 2023, cannabis was legalized for recreational use and the sale, possession, use, and growth of <br />cannabis was decriminalized. The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) is currently drafting <br />rules and standards for licensing and use of facilities that will deal with cannabis. The first draft <br />of the rules were made available on July 30, 2024, and A Guide for Local Governments <br />on Adult-Use Cannabis (Local Guide) was published this year with the most recent version being <br />updated in August. The current version of the Local Guide is attached. The OCM recently closed <br />the application period of Social Equity Applicants and received over 1,800 applications. Licenses <br />are anticipated to be issued shortly after the rules from OCM are finalized in 2025. <br /> <br />A considerable number of changes to the City Code will be required to address the registration of <br />cannabis businesses and the use of cannabis, however, the zoning ordinance is specifically used to <br />control for the time, place, and manner of the operations of a cannabis business provided that such <br />restrictions do not prohibit the establishment or operation of cannabis businesses. Notably, if the <br />City wishes to limit the amount of cannabis retail businesses within the City, this should not be <br />done in the zoning ordinance, but in the section that establishes standards for registration. Non- <br />retail businesses cannot be limited by number, but can be zoned for specific areas of the City. <br />