Cambridge Council approves dispensary despite concerns: 'State has tied our hands'

CAMBRIDGE, Minn. (FOX 9) - During a vote that drew criticism from council members and protest from opponents, the Cambridge City Council has approved a permit that paves the way for a recreational cannabis facility – at a location that some residents say is too close to a school district building.

Cambridge cannabis vote

What we know:

At its full board meeting on Monday, the council voted 4-1 to approve an interim use permit for cannabis retail located at 626 Main St. N. Council member Molly Christian was the lone ‘no’ vote.

Dig deeper:

In Minnesota, dispensaries must maintain a minimum distance of 300 feet from K-12 schools.

Municipalities and cities with more than 12,500 residents are also required to permit one cannabis dispensary, if it meets all city code requirements.

Currently, the Cambridge-Isanti Schools Education Services Center is roughly 650 feet from the proposed location, and while community concerns have centered on its proximity to a school district office, no classes are held at the location, and no children are present during operations, council staff have confirmed.

Another concern arose over signage, but on Monday, council member Mark Ziebarth assured community members "there should not be anything related to cannabis leaves or anything like that on the building," while also noting a rough draft that was sent to the city’s planning commission did not include such depictions.

What they're saying:

"As I'm sure all of you know, this is not something that many of us would be excited about," Ziebarth said prior to the vote on Monday. "On the other hand, the applicant has met all of the requirements. The city has done their diligence, and so it's one of those situations that you're not really very thrilled about, but also putting on my city hat, I want to make sure that we're not doing or saying anything that could jeopardize us."

Other council members took a more adversarial stance, questioning whether the city could abstain from voting or otherwise deny the permit.

Council member Molly Christian spoke in favor of challenging any potential state requirement, saying the community had "no appetite" to fulfill the requirement that he state had "had its hands" over.

"I don't see that this would hold up in court if it was challenged, because I don't believe that this is constitutional," Christian said prior to the vote. "It's unfortunate that the government seems to fit to require us to have something that is not a true benefit to our community when there's other things that are truly required for life in our community and there's no requirement."

Dozens of opponents turned out to the meeting to voice their displeasure, at times having to be reminded the routine business was "not a rally."

What's next:

If not voted on within 60 days, the permit would have automatically been granted.

The permit will expire on Oct. 19, 2028.

The Source: FOX 9 reporting from the Cambridge City Council meeting on Oct. 19, 2026.