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ROCHESTER — Olmsted County’s future
oversight of lower-potency hemp edible retailers
could come with a few added restrictions.
“There is a base level that we have to do for low-potency hemp products. …We are also proposing some optional provisions to strengthen overall protections around this,” said Sagar Chowdhury, Olmsted County Public Health associate director.
Olmsted County commissioners will hold a public hearing at 11 a.m. Tuesday in board chambers of the city-county Government Center, 151 Fourth St. SE. Following the hearing, they will be asked to adopt the proposed changes to the county’s ordinance regulating cannabis-derived products.
State agencies have monitored age-compliance checks since sales started in 2022, but local entities are expected to take on that role later this year.
Under the anticipated changes, the state will continue product-related compliance checks, ensuring they are made from plants with less than 0.3% levels of THC, the compound found in help and cannabis that deliver intoxicating effects.
For Olmsted County Public Health, which already conducts similar tobacco-related checks, it will mean oversight of all businesses registered to sell the low-dose products outside of Byron and Pine Island, where city officials opted to maintain oversight responsibilities.
While the key role is to make sure businesses are checking IDs with sales, county staff is proposing penalties for retailers found to sell edibles and beverages containing hemp products to anyone younger than 21.
The penalty would mirror those faced by Olmsted County tobacco retailers. The first offense would come with a $300 fine, which would increase to $600 for the second offense within 36 months.
A third offense in the same period would spur a $1,000 fine, as well as a seven-day suspension of the ability to sell low-dose products. Any offenses after three would yield another $1,000 fine, but the suspension would increase to 30 days for each violation.
Community health specialist Pa Houa Moua said the suspensions are key to ensuring retailers take the restrictions seriously.
“When only fees are applied, they see it as a cost of doing business,” she said.
The proposed ordinance changes will also reinforce the county’s smoking ban in retail establishments, as well as provide limits to the consumption of lower-potency hemp edible products on the premises of a business that sells them.
Under the proposed ordinance, the edibles will only be allowed to be consumed on site if they are purchased at the business, and the buyer is at least 21 years old. Additionally, retailers cannot sell to obviously impaired consumers
If the ordinance changes are adopted, the county oversight is expected to start after the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management finalizes new guidelines for businesses selling low-dose hemp products.
Meetings scheduled to be held during the week of March 31 include:
Rochester
• Park Board, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in room 104 in City Hall, 201 Fourth St. SE.
• Heritage Preservation Commission, 5 p.m. Wednesday in council chambers of the city-county Government Center, 151 Fourth St. SE.
Olmsted County
• Physical Development Committee, 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in conference room 2 of the Government Center.
• Board of County Commissioners, 11 a.m. Tuesday in the board chambers of the Government Center.
• Administrative Committee, 1 p.m. Tuesday in conference room 1 of the Government Center.
• Parks Commission, 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Public Works conference room at 1188 50th St. SE.
“}]] In addition to meeting state requirements, the proposed ordinance would adopt penalties for selling to someone under 21 years old. Read More
