by Dennis Dalman
The St. Joseph City Council at its July 18 meeting passed a year-long moratorium on any sales of THC edibles so the city can work out an ordinance pertaining to such sales.
Sartell passed a five-month moratorium at its July 25 city-council meeting.
The city staff and council want time to develop a policy for licensing and for regulations and restrictions regarding sales of the recently legalized products.
The “edibles” are candy gummies, brownies and more that each contain 5 milligrams of THC, which is an acronym for the tongue-twisting word “tetrahydrocannabinol.” Each bag of the “treats” cannot exceed 50 milligrams of THC total, which means there would be a limit of 10 pieces per bag.
Derived from hemp, which is the kissing cousin of the marijuana plant, THC is a substance that causes those who ingest it to get an elevated mood, to feel a “high,” though reportedly a milder high than from smoking or vaping marijuana.
The Minnesota Legislature legalized the sale of THC edibles and beverages, and legal sales began on July 1.
Since then, many cities in Minnesota have been in a tizzy, wondering how to deal with the sudden legalization and how to license the sales. Some have called it “marijuana-legalization lite.”
St. Cloud has not passed a moratorium, but it has been working on an ordinance, which is expected to be completed fairly soon. Other cities in the area are also considering a moratorium or at least an ordinance that can be developed and approved soon.
Sartell City Administrator Anna Gruber is hoping the St. Cloud ordinance can be used as a model for other cities in the greater St. Cloud area for the sake of consistency city to city.
This is just one example of how the hemp derivative THC is being marketed in bright colorful bags that would naturally attract the attention of children.
