Among the highest profile laws that were passed by the legislature this year was the bill that legalized recreational marijuana and established the Office of Cannabis Management. The law cleared much of the confusion and loose ends from the haphazard bill that was passed in 2022 making hemp derived THC products legal, but, as the Adult Use Cannabis Act, as it is formally known, is more than 300 pages long, there is still quite a bit of information that has yet to become completely clear.
On Tuesday night, the Northfield City Council discussed changes that will need to be made to the local ordinance that was passed last year in response to the 2022 legislation, and what the city might be able to do to actually take advantage of the new law, while maintaining a certain level of local regulation.
The law states that as of August 1st, recreational use of marijuana and THC infused products will be legal. While marijuana dispensaries will not be open until the new cannabis agency is up and running, which will be sometime in 2025 at the earliest, decisions and preparations must be made by counties and municipalities.
City Administrator Ben Martig said the new state office will take over the licensing responsibilities from municipalities, but dispensaries will still have to register locally.
The law allows for cities to put a moratorium on cannabinoid sales through the end of 2024, but there is no opt out clause in the law after that, and at least one dispensary must be allowed for every 12,500 people in the local population.
Liquor stores are now allowed to sell THC infused beverages and edibles, a major change from the law that was passed last year. Martig said the ban on liquor store sales was a bit bewildering.
“Kind of interesting because, you know, liquor stores have really been doing the business of checking IDs for a long time. But basically, any type of other retail business was allowed to have these types of products. So literally you could have clothing stores and things selling the stuff if they wanted to, but liquor stores are prohibited even though they’ve been doing training. So, that was a little bit unique, but they did change that law.”
With the change, the Northfield Municipal Liquor Store would now be allowed to sell these products, and in fact, the Council would have to pass an amendment to the ordinance to prohibit the liquor store from selling the products. Northfield’s Liquor Operations Manager Brian Whitt told the council that it would be detrimental to the Municipal Liquor Store if the city did not take advantage of the opportunity. While Mayor Rhonda Pownell said she would like input from the Northfield Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention before making a decision, many other members of the council said they would support allowing the products to be sold there.
The Council is expected to take the topic up again at its next regular meeting on Tuesday.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Northfield City Administrator Ben Martig can be heard here
Categorical Aid from the state will facilitate new school district hires
Meanwhile, the Northfield School District is preparing to take advantage of elements of the K-12 Education bill passed by the legislature.
Northfield Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann made a presentation to the board highlighting some of the Categorical Aid specified in the new bill. He said the section that allows for new hires in Student Support Personnel could be used to hire a full-time nurse for the Northfield Community Education Center.
While the district has put great support behind the hiring of school counselors and a school psychologist over the years, Hillmann said the nursing staff throughout the district has been put under quite a bit of stress.
The NCEC is home to the district’s licensed childcare program, the preschool program and the summer school program, and Hillmann said the District Nurse has been serving there in what he characterized as “double duty.” Hiring a full-time nurse for the NCEC, he said, would free up the district nurse to concentrate on other areas of the medical services, which becomes increasingly important as the medical situations for many students become more complex.
With money earmarked specifically for a new hire such as this, Hillmann said it just makes sense to add a full-time nurse to the staff immediately, even if the position will not be fully funded for two years.
“There is some funding coming from the state. Next year it will be $11.94 per student. For the ‘24-’25 school year it will be $17.08. And two years from now it’s going to be nearly $50 per student at $48.73. So, we will have to spend a little bit of our General Fund budget on this for next year and the year after. But within two years it would be paid for completely by state funding.”
Hillmann said the board heard the proposal on Monday night. They will most likely vote on the new position at their next regular meeting on Monday, July 10th.
Northfield Community Band highlights Third Thursday Downtown event tonight
The second Third Thursday Downtown event is set for tonight. The Northfield Riverwalk Market Fair and the Friends of Downtown Northfield have partnered this summer on a series of events for locals that they hope will also attract people from outside of town to come experience Downtown Northfield in all of its summer evening glory.
Third Thursdays Downtown are a combination of Saturday morning Riverwalk Market Fair vendors and the Bridge Square Block Parties that have run throughout the summer on third Thursdays for the past two years.
Northfield City Councilor Kathleen Holmes, who is also a longtime board member of the Friends of Downtown Northfield (formerly the Northfield Downtown Development Corporation), said the event will be set up on Division Street between 4th and 5th streets. Some thirty Market Fair vendors will line the street, and the city’s showmobile will be set up on the 4th Street side of the block for live music performances by local bluegrass band Tractorhead and the Northfield Community Band.
Many of the Downtown Northfield retailers will extend their hours tonight as well, and attendees will be encouraged to explore beyond the block to seek out other great deals from their favorite shops.
Tonight’s event is scheduled to run from 5-8pm.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
