HomeMy WebLinkAboutEditionEdina_October-2025_WebBusinesses and Governments Navigate New Cannabis
Licensing Process
Five Registered Cannabis Retailers Work Toward Edina Openings
BY CELESTE ECKSTEIN
Five cannabis retailers are in the process of
receiving their licenses and registration to
start doing business in Edina.
In 2023, Minnesota became the 23rd state
to legalize cannabis use. The Minnesota
Office of Cannabis Management (OCM)
began accepting cannabis business license
applications earlier this year.
Municipalities are required by the State
to allow at least one cannabis businesses
per every 12,500 residents. The Edina City
Council has approved a maximum of five
registered businesses. In Edina, businesses
register on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Blue Flower Elegance, CRPRC, Green Tribe
Movement, Pot Mama’s and The Holland-
Minnesota have started the registration
process. Two others are on a waiting list.
Retailers interested in setting up shop in Edina
must first apply for preliminary approval from
the OCM. After receiving pre-approval, they
register with the City of Edina. Retailers then
must comply with the City’s zoning, building
and fire codes and complete construction.
After finishing construction and ensuring
compliance with codes, the retailers go
back to OCM to finish the licensing process.
OCM confirms with the City that the
retailer has met all zoning and building
requirements and then conducts a site
inspection. If they pass, the retailer is
issued its official license from the State.
Once the retailers are open, they will
undergo compliance checks by the Edina
Police Department the same way tobacco
and liquor retailers do. Community Health
Administrator Jeff Brown said these
processes will be very similar.
Although all registrations are pending and
no retailers are set to open in Edina for
months, cannabis will hit the shelves in
other cities soon. Legacy Cannabis in Duluth
was among the first non-Native dispensaries
to open their doors in the state.
Because licensing cannabis retailers is a new
process in Minnesota, cities and businesses
are simultaneously learning to navigate the
process. Co-founder and President Erin Pash
said Pot Mama’s plans to open multiple
Minnesota locations around the same time,
and each city has a different process.
“There’s a lot of things we have to follow
and get right, and that’s super important
for us from a compliance perspective,” Pash
said. “We are triple checking, dotting our
lowercase j’s and crossing our t’s to make
sure that we have everything right before
we open up shop.”
Pash founded Pot Mama’s with her sister.
They saw an opportunity to create a
dispensary for everyone with a social
club element specifically for women
who may hesitate to embrace cannabis
because of social stigma.
Pot Mama’s will offer a customized
experience; Pash said first-time customers
will have appointments with staff to
determine what best suits their needs. They
hope to cultivate a welcoming, comfortable
and community-oriented environment for
all. When choosing locations, Pash said they
sought out suburbs where people would
appreciate the boutique model.
“I know that our cities are nervous about
having cannabis stores, and they’re nervous
about what kind of things that’s going to
bring in or if it’s going to cause trouble,”
she said. “There’s a lot of misinformation
and undereducation. A lot of people are
thinking it’s going to be a big flashing sign
that their kids are going to see that says,
‘Get your weed here.’ Our brand is the
opposite of that.”
According to Pash, Pot Mama’s hopes to
open as many of its stores as possible by
Jan. 1, 2026. They have not yet determined
the location of their Edina store.
Zoning rules for cannabis retailers are the
same as tobacco and liquor retailers in Edina.
They will be permitted in Planned Commercial
Districts 1, 2 and 3, Mixed Development
District 6, and any Planned Unit Development
that allows use in the Planned Commercial
districts. They are conditionally permitted in
Mixed Development Districts 3, 4 and 5.
To see Edina’s zoning map, visit
bit.ly/EdinaZoningMap. To learn more
about cannabis licensing in Edina,
visit bit.ly/EdinaCannabisLicenses.
Although no retailers are set to open in Edina for
months, cannabis will hit the shelves in other cities
soon. Legacy Cannabis in Duluth was among the
first non-Native dispensaries to open their doors in
the state. (Photo by Kaitlin Olson)
City of Edina EdinaMN.gov 1
Edition: Edina
OCTOBER 2025
Volume 12, Issue 10Strong FoundationCITY GOALS:Better TogetherReliable Service Livable City
BY KAYLA NORTHWAY
For over 20 years, Rob Laughlin has worked
as the President of Sunburst Chemicals, a
chemical manufacturing company based
in Bloomington, Minnesota, so he knows
a thing or two about business. When
the Edina Crime Prevention Fund was
transitioning to new leadership earlier
this year, Laughlin didn’t hesitate to put
his business experience to use and, with
support from the Board of Directors,
assumed his new role as President in June.
“Rob is a successful leader in his own
business and he’s been on the Board for a
while, so he understands how it operates,”
said Police Chief Todd Milburn. “He’s a very
calm and steady leader, and he’s very smart
and intelligent in what he’s doing. He’s
going to be fantastic in this role because
of those skill sets.”
Other members of the executive team
include Vice President Mary Brindle,
Treasurer Shelly Loberg and Secretary
Carolyn Jackson. With a total of 10
members, the Board also includes
Edina residents, Milburn and Fire
Chief Andrew Slama.
Founded in 1970 to raise money to offer
rewards to help Edina Police solve crimes,
the organization grew to support other
Laughlin Named President of Edina Crime Prevention Fund
Nonprofit Supports Both Police and Fire Departments
- COMPILED BY LAUREN SIEBENALER
The Edina Fire Department will host a Station Dedication Ceremony
and Open House 4-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, to celebrate the grand
opening of Fire Station 2, 4401 W. 76th St., and Fire Prevention
Month. The Station Dedication ceremony will take place at 4 p.m.,
with the open house to follow. Stop by the open house to check
out the new fire station, learn some tips for fire prevention and
participate in fun activities. Learn more about the Edina Fire
Department at EdinaMN.gov/Fire.
BY THE NUMBERS
Edina Fire
Station 2
aspects of police work. More recently, the
Edina Crime Prevention Fund expanded to
include all first responders, adding Slama to
the Board of Directors about two years ago.
In the near future, the Fund plans to change
its name to the “Edina First Responder
Fund” to reflect this change.
“I’m looking forward to providing support
for our Paramedic/Firefighters like the Fund
has supported our Police all these years,”
said Jackson.
As a nonprofit organization, the Edina
Crime Prevention Fund relies on community
donations and is a significant contributor to
many first-responder services and programs,
including wellness initiatives for Police
staff; the K-9 program; staff appreciation
for Paramedic/Firefighters and the Fire
Department’s Community Risk Reduction
program, a fire prevention strategy. The
Crime Prevention Fund also pays for some
equipment, such as the Police Department’s
license plate readers.
“It’s very difficult, challenging work for our
first responders, so to have this organization
come forward and fund different types
of pieces of equipment or support our
wellness initiatives definitely aids in making
sure we have the best, well-prepared staff
serving the community,” said Milburn.
Rob Laughlin will serve as President of the Edina
Crime Prevention Fund for a one-year term, at which
point the Board could vote to re-elect him for an
additional term. (Photo by Jason Heuer)
Sprinkler heads protecting
the new Fire Station 2
402
Square Feet at
Fire Station 2
36,000
Garage doors in the
new Fire Station 2
9
Fire poles
2
Meeting rooms for
staff and public use
2
Fire and Health staff
working at Fire Station 2
11
2
Watch City Council, Housing &
Redevelopment Authority and Planning Commission meetings live:
• Edina TV (Comcast Channels 813 or 16)
• EdinaMN.gov/Meetings
UPCOMING EVENTS
Thursday, Oct. 2, 11-11:30 a.m.
Online Project Talks: Vernon Avenue
& Highway 100 Interchange Project;
EdinaMN.gov/Highway100Talks
Thursday Oct. 2, 3-7 p.m.
Farmers Market, Centennial Lakes Park
Thursday, Oct. 2, 6 p.m.
Sawyer’s Dream, Edinborough Park
Saturday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.- noon
Fall Fest, 50th & France
Saturday, Oct. 4, 3 p.m.
Insight Brewing Beer and No-Dose THC
Tasting, Edina Liquor -- Grandview
Tuesday, Oct. 7, 7 p.m.
City Council meeting, Edina City Hall
Wednesday, Oct. 8, 7 p.m.
Town Talk on Affordable Housing, Online
Thursday, Oct. 9, 6:30 p.m.
Wicked Sips - A Halloween Cocktail
Tasting with Du Nord Social Spirits,
Centennial Lakes Park
Friday, Oct. 10, 5 p.m.
Movie night, “In The Heights,”
Edinborough Park
Sunday, Oct. 12, 2-4 p.m.
Halloween Costume Swap,
Edina Senior Center
Sunday, Oct. 12, 6 p.m.
The Walker Brothers Band,
Edinborough Park
Thursday, Oct. 16, 7:30 a.m.
Housing & Redevelopment Authority
meeting, Edina City Hall
Saturday, Oct. 18, 9 a.m.
Walk with the Mayor, TBD
Wednesday, Oct. 22, 7 p.m.
City Council meeting, Edina City Hall
Friday, Oct. 24, 4-5:30 p.m. or 6-7:30 p.m.
Halloboo, Edinborough Park
Saturday, Oct. 25, 10 a.m.
Free movie, “Hotel Transylvania 2,”
Edina Theatre
Saturday, Oct. 25, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Trick-or-Treating, 50th & France
Thursday, Oct. 30, 7:30 a.m.
Housing & Redevelopment Authority
meeting, Edina City Hall
Thursday, Oct. 30, 11-11:30 a.m.
Online Project Talks: Vernon Avenue
& Highway 100 Interchange Project;
EdinaMN.gov/Highway100Talks
For a complete listing of meetings
and events, visit EdinaMN.gov.
To raise money, the Fund hosts several
events throughout the year and sends out
newsletters to give community members
the opportunity to learn about and donate
to the Fund. Hosted in early September,
the Fall into the Arts Festival is among the
major events the Fund puts on each year
and was one of the first projects Laughlin
oversaw as President.
With only a few months under his belt,
Laughlin is still adjusting to his new role,
but getting to know Edina is one thing he
doesn’t need to worry about. Laughlin grew
up in Edina before attending the University
of Wisconsin-Madison, graduating with a
degree in Economics. After living in Eden
Prairie for a couple years, he returned to
Edina where he’s now lived for many years.
As Edina’s Police and Fire departments
face potential funding challenges, having
additional resources and community support
from the Edina Crime Prevention Fund is
more important than ever. In his new role
as President, Laughlin is passionate about
ensuring that the organization has a good,
durable and sustainable structure that will
help it thrive into the future.
“I think the mission is spot on and we’ve
got a great team of people, so I’m excited
about the future,” said Laughlin, who first
joined the Crime Prevention Fund’s Board
in 2020.
The executive team is excited about the
future with Laughlin’s leadership, too.
“As the Edina Crime Prevention looks to
the future as the newly named Edina First
Responders Fund … we are positioning
ourselves with strong leadership,” Brindle
said. “Rob Laughlin is a proven leader
who provides clear direction to help
us serve this larger community of public
safety professionals. We are excited for
what‘s ahead and invite the community
to continue to join with us in strong
support for Edina‘s first responders
who keep us all safe and secure.”
For more information about the
Edina Crime Prevention Fund,
visit EdinaCrimeFund.org.
Donate to the Edina Crime Prevention Fund
Visit the Edina Crime
Prevention website at
EdinaCrimeFund.org.
Select “Donate”
from the top menu,
then press the yellow
“Donate” button on
the bottom of the page.
Type in your desired
donation and choose
whether you’d like to
cover donation fees
or make it a monthly
donation. Choose your
payment method – PayPal, debit or credit card – and
follow the on-screen prompts to complete your tax-
deductible donation.
Checks can also be mailed to the Edina Crime Prevention
Fund at 4801 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424.
3City of Edina EdinaMN.gov
Edina.As a banker, I know its value.
As a resident, I know its worth.
Marcia May
NMLS #452543
Senior Mortgage Loan Officer
952.905.5741
mmay@bell.bank
marciamay.net
MRK-2753
City Council Sets Maximum Tax Levy for 2026
Levy Includes Addition of 12 or More New Paramedic/Firefighters
The Edina City Council has set the maximum
tax levy for 2026, but will work to reduce it
before the budget is approved.
Work on the 2026-2027 budget began early
this year. The City’s Executive Leadership Team
and City Council met in February to examine
the full scope of municipal services. Work
continued at the City Council’s annual retreat
in March, where the Council had an extensive
discussion around service levels, capital
spending and property tax levy trajectory.
In May, the Council met twice to discuss
further details related to the budget. Out
of these discussions, Council Members
provided direction to staff about their
collective preferences for the 2026 budget:
•Limit the total property tax levy
increase to less than 10%.
•Continue the growth of the City’s
public safety services, specifically
Emergency Medical Services.
•Explore transitioning assessing
services to Hennepin County.
•Outside of assessing and public
safety services, keep current service
levels in place.
•Seek alternative revenue options.
City Manager Scott Neal’s strategy during
the budget process included:
•Restricting growth of department
budgets to less than 3%.
•Reducing staff. Six full-time employees in
the Assessing Division and one full-time
employee in Fleet Maintenance were cut
from the budget.
•Increasing utility franchise fees to replace
debt service property tax levies for future
street reconstruction projects.
•Organizing capital spending to prioritize
and fit within available property tax levies.
•Selectively holding some employee
vacancy placements to save money.
•Adjusting the City’s annual debt service
expenses to enable the City to take on
new debt service for Fire Station 2.
The Council last month approved a maximum
tax level of $65,517,752 for 2026, an increase
of 11.03%. The increase includes the addition
of 12 new Paramedic/Firefighters, which
should allow the Edina Fire Department to
operate three ambulances around the clock
more frequently than it is able to today.
Neal’s budget proposal included six new
Paramedic/Firefighters. The City has applied
for a federal grant to pay the salaries of 12
new Paramedic/Firefighters for three years.
Because the City has not been awarded
the grant, but had a deadline to report the
maximum tax levy to Hennepin County before
the end of September, the Council increased
the levy from Neal’s recommendation.
If the City receives the grant, Council
Members indicated they will reduce the tax
levy when they adopt the budget later this
year. If the City does not, some Members said
they would like to explore other cuts to ensure
there is not a double-digit tax levy increase.
The City Council is set to hold a public
hearing on the proposed budget 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 2.
For more information,
visit EdinaMN.gov.
– COMPILED BY JENNIFER BENNEROTTE
Highlights of 2026-2027
Proposed Budget
•Debt service for new Fire Station 2,
treatment room at the Edina Aquatic
Center and Vernon Avenue &
Highway 100 Interchange
•12 Paramedic/Firefighters (18 if the
City receives a federal grant)
•Savings from transitioning assessing
services to Hennepin County
•2050 Comprehensive Plan updates
•Public safety partnerships with
Hennepin County previously funded
with Public Safety Aid, including Joint
Community Police Partnership and
embedded social worker program
•Strategic capital and
equipment investments
952-927-8861 | mail@EdinaMN.govCity of Edina EdinaMN.gov4