City stops taking cannabis registrations

City News August 29, 2025

With the local limit of two already filled, the Albert Lea City Council voted Aug. 25 to deny a registration from Benjamin Kapple of New Mexico, doing business as Mountain Sight Vision, for a cannabis retail shop.

The motion included a halt to accepting local registrations. While the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management issues state licenses, the city council approves local registrations. Retailers need both to operate legally in Albert Lea. For more information, watch the meeting on YouTube.

Also Aug. 25, the council met in a closed session to discuss litigation by the owner of The Smoking Tree, which received a state license for selling cannabis and submitted a registration with the City of Albert Lea in July. The city council voted July 28 against approving Jacob Schlichter’s registration and then on Aug. 11 declined to reconsider the application. Schlichter has filed an appeal with the Minnesota Court of Appeals regarding the council’s decision to deny his cannabis retail registration. Keep following us for updates.