Austin City Council approves cannabis ordinance
Published 10:50 am Wednesday, January 22, 2025
- In this June 17, 2015 file photo, marijuana plants grow at LifeLine Labs in Cottage Grove, Minn. Minnesotans can legally possess and grow their own marijuana for recreational purposes starting Tuesday, Aug. 1, subject to limits meant to keep a lid on things while the state sets up a full-blown legal cannabis industry. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, File)
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During its meeting Tuesday night, the Austin City Council approved the city’s cannabis ordinance.
The council voted 6-1 to prepare and adopt the ordinance, with At-Large council member Jeff Austin voting against the ordinance, which passes without a buffer requirement; one of the reasons the ordinance was pushed forward to January rather than be passed in December of 2024.
Council members voted during the last meeting in early January 6-1 for the ordinance, but the city charter requires a unanimous vote on a first reading.
During that meeting, Austin said he was voting against because he wanted more time to examine the ordinance and possible buffer zone requirement for sales in the city.
“I would have liked to have seen the buffer,” Austin said during that meeting.
According to the state law, local governments can prohibit the operations of said businesses up to 1,000 feet from a school or 500 feet from a day care, residential treatment facility or an attraction that is regularly used by minors, including parks.
But Austin chose to not include a buffer because the requirements to keep away from those listed areas would bump into areas where businesses could set up.
