At their Sept. 12 meeting, after a public hearing, the Dodge County Commissioners approved an interim Cannabis Ordinance which is scheduled to remain in place until the end of 2024.

Public Health Director Amy Evans explained to the commissioners that Minnesota legalized the possession and use of cannabis which went into effect Aug. 1. However, without a state license, it is still illegal to sell cannabis - except for the state’s Native American 11 tribal sovereign nations.

The state’s new Office of Cannabis Management is working on developing the licensing and rulemaking processes. Those are scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2025.

In the meantime, counties and municipalities may write their own interim ordinances governing cannabis uses.

Amy explained that, in Dodge County, the new interim ordinance deals with “prohibiting the establishment of new uses or the expansion of existing uses related to sales testing, manufacturing, cultivating, growing, transporting, delivery and distribution of cannabis within Dodge County.”

She further explained that this ordinance. “… will allow for Dodge County staff time to evaluate the regulatory options while protecting the health, safety, and welfare of county residents.”

There were no public comments during the public hearing. For more information, visit https://cannabis.state.mn.us/