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At the Grand Marais City Council meeting held at the end of June, City Councilors received information concerning the new law that will soon go into effect about the use of marijuana and its byproducts.
Grand Marais Mayor Tracy Benson said she was at the League of Minnesota Cities Conference, joining with more than 700 folks from around the state, and a big topic of discussion was around the new cannabis legislation.
This year Minnesota legislators passed a law legalizing “the possession, use, manufacturing, and sale of certain cannabis products within the state.”
The law governing possession, use, and home growth will go into effect on August 1, 2023, but cities and businesses are busy figuring out how the new bill will affect the workforce.
On August 1, it will be legal for adults 21 and older to have up to two pounds of marijuana in their homes, and adults can transport two ounces while they are in public. That said, selling pot without a state license will be illegal.
The cannabis bill establishes the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), which is charged with enforcing and organizing the system of regulation for the cannabis industry and the hemp consumer industry.
The law sets labor standards for using cannabis and hemp products by employees and testing employees. It also establishes expungement procedures for specific individuals previously convicted of a crime related to cannabis.
Legal sales at stores for 21 and older are expected to begin in January 2025.
Under the law, a person can grow up to eight cannabis plants, four or fewer mature, flowering plants. The plants must also be in an enclosed, locked space not open to public view.
No legal cannabis will be sold until the Office of Cannabis Management is established and ready to issue licenses. Any business attempting to sell cannabis products before permits are issued may be reported to the Department of Health.
A provision of the law states that a city’s municipal liquor store may sell hemp-infused edibles and drinks. Still, because this is unique to Minnesota, questions abound about coverage and liability for towns.
Cities can also own and operate a municipal cannabis retail store.
Retail sales of cannabis will be taxed at 10 percent of gross receipts, with local and state sales taxes applying to sales of cannabis and hemp-derived cannabinoid products.
Of the taxable profits, the state will receive 80 percent of the revenues that will go into the general fund, and 20 percent will flow into the local government cannabis aid account. Cities will receive 50 percent of the amount certified to the local government cannabis aid account.
A critical part of the bill is to clear records of some offenders arrested for felony crimes involving marijuana. A panel is being created to review felony-level cases, including the attorney general of Minnesota, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, a public defender, and others.
The state has set up a scoring system for applicants who want to engage in sales of cannabis products. Folks dubbed “social equity applicants” who come from neighborhoods with high poverty levels will be given higher scores, and communities harmed by cannabis prohibition might see re-investment through a CanRenew” portion of the bill.
If you were convicted of a non-felony cannabis charge, once the law goes into effect it will automatically be deleted from your record.
Driving under the influence of hemp-derived THC edibles or smoking a joint and then driving will be treated like a DWI with the same penalties.
Except for police, firefighters, educators, or someone driving a commercial vehicle, cannabis drug screening for a job candidate will now be illegal.
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