Moorhead City Council

Nancy Edmonds Hanson

The Moorhead City Council heard the first reading of a revised regulation on its regulation of cannabis retail sales, as well as regulation of lower-potency hemp edibles at Monday’s meeting. The new ordinance will be read again before a vote at the next meeting.
The revisions come as the state Office of Cannabis Regulation published its final rules for adult-use cannabis market, called “the most significant step to launching the cannabis market.” The office is expected to begin awarding the first licenses, those designated for social equity applicants. Lotteries for those applicants and other classes of licenses, including cultivators, mezzobusinesses, manufacturers and retailers, are planned this summer.
According to the news release, nearly 200 prospective business owners whose applications for uncapped license types – microbusinesses, wholesales, trasporters, testing facilities and delivery services – have already qualified are expected to receive their licenses shortly.
Moorhead city planner Robin Huston explained that the city’s regulation of licensed businesses extends only to registration and policing the rule prohibiting sales to anyone under the age of 21. Licensing and investigation of potential complaints, she said, rests solely with the state.
The proposed city ordinance sets an initial registration fee at $500 for cannabis retailers, microbusinesses, mezzobusinesses and medical cannabis combination businesses at $500, with renewal fees of $1,000. Sellers of lower-potency hemp edibles would be charged $125 for their first and subsequent registrations.
The fee for violating the registration regulations is $2,000 for each incident at the same locaiton.
Huston pointed out that the ordinance would also limit cannabis sales to 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week. Questioned by council member Deb White, she said that licensed alcohol establishments selling cannabis products would be required to follow the same time limitation, even if regular bar hours extend until 2 a.m.
The age limit for cannabis sales, she said, will be enforced by local law enforcement, just as tobacco and alcohol sales are today.