Officials in St. Cloud, Minnesota, are considering setting extensive limitations on where hemp-derived THC and CBD can be sold in the city.
According to the St. Cloud Times, the city’s planning commission meeting published a draft ordinance prior to its September 13 meeting proposing the following:
- No sales of cannabinoid products within a quarter mile of public parks, places of worship and schools
- Minimum quarter-mile distance between retailers selling cannabinoid products
Based on a map of parks, churches, schools and their buffer zones, the proposal would nearly eliminate sales in St. Cloud. However, existing locations would be grandfathered in.
A memo from the city’s planner and community development director said the limits were in keeping with lawmakers’ intent to limit youth access to cannabis.
"Adoption of the proposed separation standards are consistent with the intent of the Minnesota legislature to limit access of cannabinoid products to youth given the recognized danger and general public health concerns regarding use of these products,” they wrote. “The specified uses to be buffered are characterized by frequent attendance of accompanied or unaccompanied youth, families, and the general public.”
"Adoption of the proposed separation standards are consistent with the intent of the Minnesota legislature to limit access of cannabinoid products to youth given the recognized danger and general public health concerns regarding use of these products.”
— Memo from St. Cloud City Staff to the St. Cloud Planning Commission
The St. Cloud Planning Commission tabled the discussion at its Tuesday meeting, according to KNSI Radio, and will revisit the topic in October. If the commission votes to recommend approval, its recommendation would go to the city council for final approval or denial.
The St. Cloud City Council on Monday passed a separate ordinance establishing a licensing requirement for retailers selling any type of cannabinoid, the St. Cloud Times reported.
The licensing regulation appears to be the first reported since July, when Minnesota legalized the sale of edibles and drinks infused with moderate amounts of THC. The new THC limits are 5 milligrams per serving and 50 mg per package in food and beverages, an amount likely to have mild to moderate psychotropic effects for occasional TCH users.
Under the new measure, delta-9 THC from hemp can be used in food and beverages within the mg limits. Delta-9 is the primary form of THC produced by cannabis plants and was previously illegal beyond trace amounts in Minnesota.
At the state level, the rules for THC edibles and drinks are similar to tobacco: legal for adults 21 and up, with additional standards to ensure products are safe and not marketed to kids.
But the state left the details of licensing, zoning, and additional regulations to each municipality.
According to the League of Minnesota Cities, cities can choose to regulate:
- where edibles are made or sold
- which businesses can sell them
- the age of the person selling the products
Other Minnesota cities placed temporary bans on production and sales of hemp THC edibles in late July, giving them time to draft local regulations.
