RICHFIELD, Minn. — Editor's note: The video above first aired on Oct. 5, 2022.
The Richfield City Council approved a one-year moratorium on the sale of THC edible products on Tuesday.
The ban will block the sale of cannabis products known as Delta-8 and Delta-9. In a 4-1 vote, the city council voted to implement the moratorium beginning Dec. 1.
City staff recommended the council approve the moratorium to give leaders time to prepare ordinances and licensing guidelines around cannabis products. "Because cities and stakeholders were not given any notice of action or consulted during the drafting of this legislation, staff are not prepared to provide guidance related to an ordinance or licensing of edible cannabinoid products at this time," council minutes from Oct. 25 said.
During the year-long moratorium, city staff will also conduct a study, "to learn from other cities' experiences, research the issues and develop ordinance language and licensing protocol," according to the council meeting agenda.
"In terms of what's next: the moratorium takes effect December 2022, and is written for 12 months, but could be rescinded early," Richfield City Council member Sean Hayford Oleary said in a tweet.
Oleary, the only council member to vote "no" on the issue, said in a series of posts that he opposed the measure because "safety concerns are related to consumption, not purchases," "Richfield will be a regulatory island," and he believes the city's moratorium "will be used by legalization opponents to justify maintaining restrictions," among other reasons.
The ban comes nearly four months after statewide legislation authorized the sale of hemp-based THC edibles and drinks. Richfield is the latest city to enact a moratorium since the law was passed. Robbinsdale and Stillwater have also passed similar temporary bans.
During the 12-month time period, the selling of Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC products by businesses and individuals is Richfield is prohibited. The law does not apply to medical cannabis or non-edible hemp products that were legal to sell before the statewide law was passed.
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