The Moorhead Planning Commission on Nov. 3 voted to recommend that the City Council approve zoning text amendments to Title 10, Chapter 18 to broaden where cannabis testing facilities and certain small cannabis businesses may locate in the city, staff said.

City planner Houston told commissioners that since the state legalized adult‑use cannabis in 2023 staff and applicants have identified a shortage of suitable commercial space in Moorhead. "They're having a real tough time in our real estate market because we do have very low vacancy rates and trying to find a building that suits their needs," Houston said, summarizing applicant feedback and staff work on code updates.

The staff proposal contains two primary changes. First, testing facilities, which staff said were previously limited to light and heavy industrial zones, would be allowed provisionally in additional commercial and mixed‑use districts — including Mixed Use 3 and 4 and community commercial nodes — provided they meet noise, odor and adjacency restrictions. Second, the code would relax the single‑tenant requirement that currently prevents micro and mezzo licensees from leasing one unit in multi‑tenant "shop condo" buildings unless all other units are also cannabis uses. Under the proposed change, micro and mezzo businesses could occupy multi‑tenant buildings if other units in the building are also cannabis uses, a change staff said would open up practical storefront and production space for smaller licensees without exposing existing non‑cannabis tenants to adjacent cultivation or production smells.

Houston said staff did not receive public comments on the draft amendments and recommended the commission forward the ordinance text changes to the City Council. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about which zoning districts would be affected and about odor and adjacency protections; Houston walked through the specific zones the amendments would affect and reiterated that light and heavy industrial remain available by right.

The commission moved and seconded a recommendation to approve the amendments to Title 10, Chapter 18 related to cannabis uses; commissioners voted in favor with no opposing votes recorded. The recommendation advances the text amendments to the City Council for final action.

The transcript records the code sections and generalized conditions staff proposed, but does not record the final ordinance language or a council hearing date. Staff packet and the planning commission minutes should be consulted for the precise amended text and any conditions that will accompany the council submittal.