Before securing a location for his new business in Albert Lea, Jacob Schlichter had to rule out numerous other options. The landlord wasn't the right fit in some cases. Insurance coverage didn't align with his needs in others. Most commonly, the building was too close to a school, park or church.
"I searched two dozen properties working through zoning," Schlichter said. "This wasn't easy in a lot of ways."
The 29-year-old eventually found a space for The Smoking Tree cannabis shop on the northern edge of town off of Interstate 90, about 15 miles north of the Iowa border. He intends to open any day now upon final state and city approvals.
Zoning ordinances are among the hurdles Schlichter and other aspiring cannabis entrepreneurs need to clear while navigating the fledgling industry's new regulatory landscape at local and state levels. The licensing framework they're working within started being rolled out under the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) after Minnesota legalized marijuana in 2023.
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