Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – A temporary halt to the sales or licensing of THC and other marijuana products has been implemented by the Fergus Falls City Council in response to the impending August 1st legalization deadline statewide.
The city council unanimously voted for the interim ordinance during a public meeting on July 17th, an occasion that offered the opportunity for citizens to voice their opinions and give feedback on the newly proposed rule.
Emily McCune, owner of Sugar High Cannabis Consulting and Dispensary, said she was concerned the moratorium would cause delays in local permitting once the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management begins issuing the licenses.
She called for inclusion of language that states, “until January 2025 or until the state regulatory framework takes effect,” clarifying that her suggestion aims to prevent those potential delays should state regulations become effective before the proposed date. Her requested changes were not made to the ordinance.
Andrew Bremseth, city administrator for Fergus Falls, said the new ordinance should not affect any products currently being sold at businesses in Fergus Falls.
“The moratorium that the council put in place does not impact products that are already sold,” said Bremseth. “We have a handful of shops in town and they are going to continue to operate and have the ability to sell the products they are already selling. But, they are not going to be able to go into these new markets that require additional licensing from the state until the moratorium is lifted, and until that office is created to have the ability to oversee that licensing process.”
He also said Fergus Falls city staff and council members have begun discussions about a possible banning of use of cannabis products in public spaces.
“We don’t have (a cannabis-use ordinance) in place, but we are talking about that,” he said. “That’s going to be a council discussion that takes place, but essentially looking at whether or not the use of these products should be allowed in public parks, public property and public spaces. We do have some restrictions as it relates to smoking cigarettes in public parks and I’m guessing we’ll go down the road of having some restrictions on where these products can and can’t be used publicly as well.”
The next regular Fergus Falls city council meeting is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 21 at 5:30 p.m.
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