In May of last year, Minnesota became the 23rd State to pass a bill into law that will legalize the use of cannabis products for adults 21 years of age and older. Passage of this bill follows the long recognized fact that many decades of the prohibition of marijuana have not worked to lessen the use of the product. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, two Academy of Sciences studies “challenge exaggerated allegations of marijuana’s harm and criticized marijuana prohibition for the social costs of unregulated black markets and the criminalization of millions of citizens.” At Monday night’s council meeting, Two Harbors City Attorney Timothy Costly advised council members to begin exploring issues related to the regulation and sale of cannabis products. Though the law is not expected to go into effect until sometime in 2025, there are many components for officials to consider prior to allowing dispensaries to open for business.
To assist with all of this, the state has established the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management. In order for cannabis dispensaries to operate in Minnesota, there will be various types of licenses that prospective operators will need to acquire. Additionally, the State will be establishing rules that will govern the operation of manufacturing and retail facilities, the packaging and labeling of products, laboratory testing protocols and standards that will have to be met, and the establishment of an integrated cannabis tracking, inventory and verification system.
Council members Ben Redden and Uriah Hefter have agreed to head a committee to look into these matters and there will be a public meeting scheduled in the future to give citizens a chance to ask questions and give input.
In other news, an agreement has been signed with Rochon Construction for the new liquor store project and bids for the 2024/25 Street Project are being sought. The Council decided to have a structural assessment done on the bandshell in Thomas Owens Park. The study will help determine whether the City should invest in the rehabilitation of the existing bandshell or replacing it with a new structure. The foundation of the current bandshell is questionable and city maintenance crews have alerted the Council to structural defects that are evident.
A public hearing will be held on March 12th to talk about zoning updates and the Lake County Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a Career Expo on Thursday, April 11th.
The next Two Harbors Council meeting is scheduled for February 26th at 6:00.
