Dodge County approves interim ordinance regulating commercial use of cannabis

MANTORVILLE, Minn. (KTTC) – The Dodge County Board of Commissioners approved an interim ordinance Tuesday morning that prohibits new and current uses of commercial cannabis activity.

This is specifically related to the sales, testing, manufacturing, cultivating, growing, transporting, delivery, and distribution of cannabis products.

While the interim ordinance lasts, county staff will not accept any license, permit, or application for commercial cannabis activities unless the state law requires so.

This also affects planning or zoning applications related to any commercial cannabis products from businesses, persons, or entities.

The ordinance recognizes a cannabis product’s “inherent risk of injury” to people. There is not enough time to finish the usual process of introducing a county ordinance with cannabis due to recent legislative changes, according to the language of the ordinance.

Dodge County Public Health Director Amy Evans says the interim ordinance ensures time for the county to study regulations that will protect its residents’ health and safety.

“We believe as a county that we need to do some more studies. We are looking for some amount of policies from the state, and the state doesn’t really have those yet. So, it’s kinda the cart before the horse with the cannabis program.”

This ordinance does not apply to medical cannabis products related to the Medical Cannabis Program under state law.

It also does not apply to the continued sales of edible and non-edible THC products by retailers in existence before August 1, 2023.

The interim ordinance is effective until January 1, 2025, or the date when the County Board repeals it.

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