Crow Wing County looks at cannabis regulations, sets public hearing – Brainerd Dispatch

BRAINERD — Crow Wing County joined Brainerd and Baxter as local governmental bodies look at how they will regulate the new law allowing the recreational use of cannabis or marijuana.

In a report to the Crow Wing County Board, Tim Houle, county administrator, said the new law has implications for the county as an employer as well as as a governing body.

Houle said the county has U.S. Department of Transportation safety sensitive positions that are required by federal law to be subjected to random drug tests. Other safety sensitive positions, such as law enforcement, will also continue to be part of pre-employment and random drug testing, Houle said.

“So we’re having to navigate through with this new legislation, some of the implications that it’s going to have on us as an employer, we also have had discussions about how that is going to have implications on us as a community,” Houle said.

A proposed ordinance could regulate the use of cannabis and cannabis derived products in public places, modeled after a Stearns County proposal prohibiting the use of cannabis in a public place or in places of public accommodation.

“In my mind, this is a reasonable restriction on the rights of people to use cannabis products,” Houle said. “It is not socially acceptable to walk down the sidewalk with a six-pack of beer and drink it as you’re walking down the sidewalk. This will be similar to that.”

Houle said, similar to other

county ordinances like the short-term rental rules

, the draft ordinance would allow for more

local control and exclude Brainerd

and

Baxter, which are working

on their own cannabis regulations. The exclusion would also apply to any city or township that decided to regulate cannabis use.

“I think these are reasonable restrictions on the rights of people that have been recently granted by the Legislature to consume cannabis,” Houle said. “I think this ordinance is more designed towards the people who would like to not be subjected to cannabis.”

In particular, Houle said the pungent smell of smoked cannabis is not welcome by a lot of people who aren’t likely to partake in it. Houle said the proposed ordinance strikes a reasonable balance.

“I will tell you that Minnesota is one of only four states out of the 23 that adopted recreational use of marijuana that did not regulate the public consumption,” Houle said. “And so they left that to local control. I think it would be better if it was regulated at the state level.”

Commissioner Paul Koering provided a rather vivid example.

“So if Jimmy Johnson and his wife, Helen, and their eight kids are down at South Long Lake Park and they’re having a nice picnic, and somebody’s sitting there puffing away and blowing smoke their way, they don’t need to put up that kind of crap,” Koering said.

Houle said the proposed ordinance would give law enforcement the ability to issue a misdemeanor citation and a fine for that activity. Houle says he doesn’t suspect deputies are going to be patrolling looking for people smoking in the public parks but they would be able to address it when responding to a complaint.

Koering said he was in favor of pursuing the ordinance.

“I guess I’d like to have the public weigh in on this even though I know I’ve already got my mind made up that we do need something like this,” Koering said. “But I think we need to have the public weigh in on this.”

Commissioners voted to set a public hearing on the issue during their regular board meeting Sept. 12 at the Historic Courthouse on Laurel Street in Brainerd.

Renee Richardson, managing editor, may be reached at 218-855-5852 or renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter @DispatchBizBuzz.

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