City of Redwood Falls releases draft of proposed marijuana-use ordinance

At Tuesday’s council meeting, the City of Redwood Falls released a draft if its proposed new ordinance defining how recreational marijuana may legally be used within city limits.
On May 30, Governor Tim Walz signed a new law effectively legalizing recreational marijuana in Minnesota. The law allows local units of government to adopt ordinances — if they choose — making cannibis use a petty misdemeanor in certain public places.
The key words here are, “certain public places.”
The state legislature and the League of Minnesota Cities haven’t offered much guidance, so cities and towns are having to look to each other. Redwood city staff chose the City of Alexandria’s proposed ordinance as a model.
According to the City of Redwood Falls, it is in the best interest of the public to consider cannibis a potential health hazard similar to alcohol and cigarettes, and it is valid for cannibis to be regulated in simlar ways.
If the proposed ordinance is approved by the city council at the next meeting, cannibis will be a petty misdemeanor if used on public streets and rights of way, alleys, sidewalks, parks and trails, buildings, and vehicles, much like alcohol is already regulated.
The proposed ordinance would allow recreational cannibis to be used in private residence and yards, private property not generally accessible by the public, or on the premises of establishments or events licensed to permit on-site consumption.
The next Redwood Falls City Council meeting is scheduled for Oct. 3. If the ordinance is approved, it will go into effect immediately afterward.