Cannabis sales are anticipated to begin in Minnesota by spring or early summer of 2025. This new market will open opportunities for businesses to engage in cultivation, manufacturing, and retail, under a comprehensive framework designed to ensure compliance and safety.

In this episode of the Larkin Hoffman Real Estate Podcast, Bill Griffith sat down with Doug Junker, the firm's municipal licensing specialist, to discuss the evolving landscape of the cannabis market and its regulatory compliance in Minnesota. They dive into the many nuances of the cannabis licensing process and the challenges posed by regulatory requirements for cultivators, manufacturers, and retailers, offering valuable insights for businesses preparing to enter the cannabis market.

Doug Junker transitioned from a 20-year tenure as a license examiner for the City of Bloomington to join Larkin Hoffman and brings with him a wealth of insight into the intricacies of securing licenses. This knowledge renders him an invaluable resource and consultant for businesses, municipalities, and legal professionals seeking assistance or clarity on diverse licensing issues.

Doug assists businesses navigating the myriad of challenges they encounter when seeking permits and licenses for their operations. He provides guidance on business planning, floor planning, licensing applications, compliance and site inspections to ensure alignment with city regulations.

Bill Griffith advises local and national clients on legal and policy issues affecting land use, zoning, real estate, environmental review, municipal law, regulatory matters and government relations. He has been legal counsel to Mall of America in all its phases, and serves as city attorney for the city of Columbus. He is a trusted advisor on real estate development and public funding for both private clients and municipalities.

There is a simple formula that is used to determine how much you owe in property taxes, however if your property is valued incorrectly, you could be overpaying. Tim Rye and Adam Pabarcus from our property tax appeals team recently sat down with Bill Griffith to discuss the property tax appeals process and to highlight the benefit of a quick periodic review to determine if your tax assessment is fair.

In this episode of The Larkin Hoffman Real Estate Podcast, Tim also shares insights regarding his team’s recent victory in the Minnesota Supreme Court and its decision to require tax assessors to exclude the airport’s concession fees from rent-based valuations for property tax purposes. The case offers a flight plan to lower taxes at many of the nation’s transportation hubs and underscores the importance for all taxpayers to exclude business value from taxable property value. In this episode, Tim details the magnitude of the Minnesota Supreme Court’s decision regarding concession fees and how it could influence the results of future property tax appeals.

Part Three: Reforming Real Estate: From Racial Covenants to Just Deeds

In the most recent episodes of The Larkin Hoffman Real Estate Podcast, ⁠Bill Griffith⁠ had the privilege of sitting down with three pioneering Black women working for the City of Bloomington, Minnesota. Women, and Black women in particular, have historically been excluded from the real estate profession causing their representation in the industry to be notably low. However, in Bloomington things are changing. In recent years, the city added three women of color to its leadership team: Karla Henderson, Community Development Director; Aarica Coleman, Housing and Redevelopment Authority Administrator; and Faith Jackson, Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer. Bill was honored to have the opportunity to talk with them about this important topic.  As their conversation unfolded, it quickly became clear that the three women had a lot to share and the conversation evolved into the three-part mini series.