Officials review Owatonna cannabinoid ordinance
Owatonna city councilors talked again on Dec. 6 about enacting rules that will govern the sale and use of THC “edibles” legalized earlier this year by state lawmakers.
THC is the part of a marijuana plant that causes the sensation of “getting high.” Those 21 and older can now purchase food and drink infused with THC, limited to 5 milligrams per individual piece and no more than 50 milligrams per package, with a THC concentration of no more than .3%.
City attorney Mark Walbran called the local ordinance “a work in progress.’ It is patterned after the city’s alcohol and tobacco ordinances. Anyone wanting to sell edibles would have to apply for a license and consent to a background check.
The ordinance would mirror state law in limiting sales to those 21 and older. However, Walbrun said, 18 year olds can sell alcohol in Minnesota, so he said the city could set the THC sale age at 18 as well.
Other conditions would require child-resistant packaging, prohibit packaging that appeals to children, require license holders to check customers’ ages, and submit to compliance checks and inspections. Application fees would run $500, plus $500 for a background check. Out-of-state owners could pay up to $10,000 to cover that cost.
“You’re probably better off regulating it than not regulating it,” Walbran said. “You could take the step of saying, no, we’re not going to sell it at all, but that might not be wise either. It is beneficial for some.”
Quite a bit of work remains: changes to zoning ordinances would prohibit sales within a certain distance of schools and–as it does with liquor–the city could limit the number of licenses issued.
Steele County public health nurse Amber Aaseth told officials a lot of cities and counties have not moved forward because of the anticipation that the (state) laws will be changing. She supports the idea of a local ordinance.
Owatonna Public Schools Superintendent Jeff Elstad said enacting an ordinance would put the community “on the forefront”. He said the district is enacting policies to add medical cannabis and cannabinoids to the list of substances banned in schools–for students and adults.
Elstad said adding the 300-foot distance around schools would help. He also wished the rules could be applied to vaping products as well.
“The more opportunities we can push this away from our students and staff, the better,” he said. “It is beneficial for some, but in the presence of children, we have to be mindful of that.”
Police Chief Jeff Mundale also supports the ordinance, but he has a concern about testing. There has to be a presumptive positive test, and that can’t be done at the state crime lab because edibles literally gum up their equipment.
Even with the need for testing in an independent lab, he said, “The framework of this policy would serve our community safety much better.”
The discussion was held in a work session, so councilors did not take action but agreed to move the ordinance forward at a future meeting.