(ABC 6 News) – It was a packed agenda for the Olmsted County board of commissioners.

On the agenda included initiating a zoning ordinance amendment to address cannabis use in Olmsted County.

Cannabis and retail sales are expected start next March with the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) seeing cultivator license applications as early as this July.

The ordinance changes will address where cannabis and cannabis related retail uses will be permitted.

“The planning department is still finalizing what that language would look like, but we would anticipate bringing language back to the board that would be as restricted as possible while meeting the state regulations,” community development planning supervisor Allison Sosa said.

Some of the language includes where these cannabis businesses can set up shop.

They can’t be within 1000 feet of any school or 500 feet from any park-day care and residential treatment facility.

The county is looking to establish initial limits on licensed cannabis businesses.

“The legislature expects counties to take a crack at this first if you will, establish whatever threshold you think is appropriate,” Tom Canan from the Olmsted County attorney’s office said.

The legislature mandated there to be one licensed cannabis business per 12,500 residents.

That means there would be at least 13 licensed cannabis businesses in Olmsted County.

County staff recommends the board to set the initial license limit at 13.

“If it turns out that additional licenses are needed later, you’re always free to come back to revisit that issue,” Canan said.

The Olmsted County board of commissions approved to initiate a zoning ordinance amendment and to establish initial limits on licensed cannabis businesses.

What’s next is to hold a public hearing for to approve changes to the cannabis ordinance on July 16th.