BLACKDUCK — More than 40 people attended the final public hearing for Blackduck’s proposed cannabis amendment, which later passed on a 4-1 vote after lengthy discussion.
The hearing on Monday, Oct. 6, drew a mix of comments and concerns from residents from the Blackduck area.
“I’m not opposed to progress,” said Bob Klug, Jr., a former municipal worker for the city of Blackduck. “But the phosphorous from fertilizers used in cannabis could quickly overwhelm our wastewater system.”
The changes approved Monday night remove the required buffers for cannabis manufacturers and cultivators around day cares and schools. Blackduck's required buffers for cannabis dispensaries remain unchanged.
These changes clear the way for cannabis entrepreneur Alan Bonsett and his company NoBo to purchase the former Anderson Fabrics manufacturing facility in Blackduck’s industrial area, which also is next door to Blackduck Head Start, an early childhood facility.
While many of the commenters Monday night spoke out against the measure, a few expressed their wish to see something come into that space.
“I own a day care. I have open slots. We need families, we need growth,” Jenna Freeman said. “Cannabis businesses aren’t scary places. It would be good for our town.”
The New York-based Shade Store acquired Anderson Fabrics in 2021 but announced it was shuttering its operations early in 2025, laying off more than 100 people.
Bonsett’s proposal, first presented to the Blackduck Council in August, promises up to 150 new jobs, transforming the facilityfor cannabis cultivation. This includes 47,000 square feet of plant canopy, in addition to manufacturing cannabis products such as edibles and concentrates.
Bonsett remotely responded to questions and concerns from the crowded Blackduck Council chambers, detailing the precise fertilization process for his company’s cannabis plants that he said leaves minimal, if any, run-off.
“Our method requires smaller plants and incremental fast feedings that aren’t draining into the wastewater,” he said.
In response to other concerns of negative community impact, such as potential increases in crime, Bonsett cited the company’s intense security protocols, the industry’s heavy regulation and his company’s practice of investing in their people.
“We do try to pay our company employees well,” Bonsett said after describing the entry-level wages starting around $16 per hour, with room for advancement. “We're also a company that offers employee stock options. ... And in fact, we are in the 97th percentile of all cannabis companies nationally as far as what our benefits offer.”
Most of the crowd dispersed after the public hearing, before the Blackduck Council officially adopted the zoning amendment on a 4-1 vote.
Mayor Max Gullette said he checked in with his counterpart in Benton Harbor, Michigan —where NoBo purchased an old foundry — and shared he felt assured that NoBo would do right by Blackduck.
“NoBo was a company that put its money where its mouth is,” Gullette said, describing the Benton Harbor mayor’s assessment. “And Alan's the type of person that when he says he's going to do something, he does it.”
Gullette added the Michigan foundry was off the local tax rolls for several years, and he did not want to see the same thing happen in Blackduck.
“Someone could come in to the area — I'm not even saying in the city limits of Blackduck, but I'm saying they could come into our area — buy their 20 acres, and do the exact same thing,” Gullette said. “Then there's no need for the building that sits inside city limits.”
Council member Laurie Hamilton offered the motion to adopt the ordinance, agreeing with most of the Council that with the state’s legalization, councils can’t manipulate ordinances to keep cannabis out.
“I don't feel like this company is coming in here to wreck this town,” she said. “I feel like they're a business. They have a product.”
The real estate transaction for the former Anderson Fabrics plant was not finalized as of Tuesday, Oct. 7.
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Andrew Dziengel/KAXEThe stated goal of the series is to help landowners create healthy, resilient forests, even after severe weather events. -
Contributed/NMF | YouTubeThe foundation invites volunteers, partners, local leaders and community members to learn more about the new framework at one of five Lunch and Learn events. -
Contributed/CLCThe college will host an open house 1–3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, where guests can connect with faculty and staff, tour labs and classrooms, and learn more about programs. -
Plus: Attorney General Keith Ellison will be in Bemidji Tuesday, Oct. 7, for a community forum; Bemidji State University Alumni & Foundation is launching a fundraising campaign to replant the campus after the June 2025 wind storm; and the Cuyuna Regional Medical Center announces changes to its healthcare delivery services in the Brainerd Lakes area.
