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Jasper hears from individual interested in opening a recreational cannabis dispensary
Students at Pipestone Area Schools drove tractors to school on Tuesday morning, March 18, which was National Agriculture Day. March 16 to 22 is also National Agriculture Week. Photo by Kyle Kuphal
Pipestone County Commissioners during their March 11 meeting approved an ordinance regulating cannabis businesses in the county.
Their approval followed a public hearing to take comments on the proposed ordinance during which no community members spoke. The commissioners previously held a public hearing regarding the ordinance in December, but chose to hold off on approving it in order to clarify portions of the proposed ordinance and review state statute.
During the March 11 meeting, Pipestone County Administrator Steve Ewing reviewed several parts of the ordinance that had been changed since December. He said Southwest Health and Human Services helped develop the ordinance and that the ordinance is similar to those approved by other counties in the area.
Commissioner Luke Johnson questioned a portion of the ordinance pertaining to zoning and land use that indicated cannabis businesses licensed for cultivation or manufacturing could be located in industrial-zoned districts, but did not list cannabis businesses licensed for transportation as a permitted use or conditional use in an industrial zone.
“If you’re going to allow people to manufacture and cultivate in an industrial-zoned district, you would think you’d allow transportation from that district,” Johnson said.
The commissioners added language to the ordinance allowing businesses licensed for transportation of cannabis to be permitted as a conditional use in districts zoned industrial. There was also a portion of the proposed ordinance that referred to Lyon County, which was changed to Pipestone County. The full ordinance can be found on the county’s website at www.pipestone-county.com.
Prior to the approval of the ordinance, Pipestone County Commissioner Dan Wildermuth reiterated his opposition to adult-use cannabis, which was legalized by the state of Minnesota in 2023.
“We’ve got no choice,” he said. “Our hands are tied here. It seems so counterintuitive to me. One of the other committees I serve on, as you know, is the Pipestone Area Coalition where we work so hard to educate our young people about the dangers of tobacco, alcohol, other drugs and so forth. I hate the idea that it seems as though we are condoning this. I myself, personally, am not condoning it and I know a lot of you guys feel the same way.”
The commissioners also approved registration and license fees for cannabis businesses that range from $0 for an initial registration fee for a cannabis micro business to $1,000 for renewal registration and license fees.
Ewing said the cities of Trosky and Hatfield had not yet indicated whether they planned to delegate the local registration authority for cannabis businesses to the county or handle it themselves. The cities of Pipestone and Woodstock have decided to create their own ordinances and all other cities and townships have opted to let the county handle it.
Later in the day on March 11, the Jasper City Council heard from Cameron Young, who said he is part owner of the East River Farms medical dispensary in Sioux Falls and was interested in opening a recreational cannabis retail business at 106 Wall St. W. in Jasper. He said the proposed location would not meet the 500-foot setback requirement from the Jasper City Park and requested a conditional use permit granting him an exception from the setback requirement. Jasper Mayor Kim Lape told Young that the County Commissioners had just approved a cannabis ordinance earlier in the day and that she would like the city’s attorney to review Young’s request because the ordinance was so new. She invited him to return to the City Council’s April 8 meeting.
In other business:
•The commissioners approved a conditional use permit allowing A & C Excavating to open a gravel pit in the northwest quarter of Section 20 of Fountain Prairie Township for a 30-year term with compliance certification every 10 years, as recommended by the Pipestone County Planning Commission. Pipestone County’s zoning ordinance requires a conditional use permit for all gravel pits.
•Kyle Evans, of Pipestone, has been hired as the county’s new facilities manager. He will begin his new position on Monday, March 31. He replaces Wayne Drew, who retired at the end of 2024.
“}]] Jasper hears from individual interested in opening a recreational cannabis dispensary Pipestone County Commissioners during their March 11 meeting approv Read More
