What To Expect At St. Cloud’s First Recreational Cannabis Store

St. Cloud's first recreational cannabis dispensary, Waabigwan Mashkiki, opened at 10am Wednesday, and those looking for product or just to look, embraced the warmer weather and lines in order to see inside what may be the first of several to open in St. Cloud over the next few months and years.

Customers & Visitors Should Feel Safe Coming & Going

While I waited in line to see the inside of the business for the first time, the attitudes of others in line were a mix of excitement as well as having patience. Those arriving early ranged in age from mid-20s to mid-60s, with older patrons coming for possible pain relief, and the younger ones in line were there more for recreation.

When you entered the store, you were greeted by security, who checked your ID, making sure you were 21+. Once inside the lobby area, which was between two sets of doors, your ID was then scanned to ensure it was a legal ID.

To the left of the main entry was the locked product area, where you could pick out your product, which currently consists of prerolls, flower, accessories like lighters, pipes, and grinders, as well as edibles. Wearable merch was also available for purchase.

The Lines Led To Wait Times

When I arrived at 9:50 this morning at 141 33rd Ave S, the Waabigwan Mashkiki recreational cannabis dispensary, roughly 30 people were waiting in line before the grand opening of one of St. Cloud's newest businesses. As the clock ticked closer to 10am, when the business opens, the line swelled to about 50 people.

There were people in line from North Dakota, Michigan, as well as people from St. Cloud, St. Augusta, St. Joseph, and other surrounding communities.

The line of people waiting to get in created a bit of a wait for potential customers. However, the business is equipped with what you would liken to an overflow waiting area, with chairs and a display of products.

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Also found in the waiting area were kiosks where customers could place their orders and wait to get inside the product area, where they would then purchase their goods, using either cash or AeroPay.

Lines Continued After Opening

I left at 10:30, after waiting about 20 minutes to get inside the area where the products were available, and there was still a line of about 20 people waiting outside to get in, with others pulling up and walking towards the business.

The business does offer both curbside pickup and online ordering, allowing someone to order ahead of time and then pick up when they arrive, rather than having to wait in a line.

Staff that I had interactions with were polite and knowledgeable, as they offered education on what products were available, and answered other types of questions from customers about products.

How Will The Dispensary Do?

While recreational cannabis is legal in Minnesota, the state rollout of it has been bumpy. Waabigwan Maskiki is a White Earth Nation-owned business, so it was able to open thanks to the compact that was signed in May by Governor Walz.

Other non-native owned businesses are still waiting to open, which, when they are allowed to open, could potentially 'flood' the market with product.

What do you think about St. Cloud getting a recreational cannabis dispensary?