Background

• During the 2023 State Legislative Session, Chapter 342 was passed establishing a regulatory framework for the State’s new legal recreational cannabis industry.
  
  
• Local entities to play a critical role in the licensing process, serving as an approval checkpoint through a municipal registration process, before final licensure is authorized for cannabis businesses applying for State licensure.
  
  
• The City of Rochester on November 18, 2024, delegated its authority to regulate retail cannabis to Olmsted County Public Health.

Zoning 

• Zoning outlines for retail cannabis licenses can be found on page 119 of the City of Rochester Unified Development Code. 

Eligible Locations within the City 

• For a quick review of which locations are eligible for retail cannabis licensure, please follow the link below to the Eligibility Map. 
  
  
  •  Retail Cannabis Location Eligibility Map