On Tuesday recreational possession and use of marijuana became legal in Minnesota, and an incident in Faribault illustrated the confusion that surrounds the new laws.
While possession of up to two ounces and consumption of marijuana is now legal, it is, as of yet, illegal to buy or sell the product within the state. The law passed by the legislature last May created the Office of Cannabis Management which will oversee the licensing and sale of all cannabis and cannabinoid products. However, the department has not been organized, nor has an administrator been named to run the department. The state has said legal sale in Minnesota of cannabis will most likely not happen until the first quarter of 2025.
That, however, did not stop some enthusiastic entrepreneurs in Faribault on Tuesday.
According to a statement issued by the City of Faribault, at approximately 4:50 on Tuesday afternoon, Faribault police officers responded to several citizen complaints regarding a local business selling marijuana plants during a parking lot tent sale. Officers responded to the business, Total Tobacco, located in the 400 block of Fourth St. NW, and found 22 suspected marijuana plants for sale. The plants were labeled by strain, and in some instances, by THC concentration exceeding the percentage allowed for legally grown industrial hemp.
Officers investigated the incident as a violation of the newly enacted Marijuana statutes, and seized the plants based on probable cause. No arrests were made.
The statement said that an active investigation into the incident involving the Faribault Police Department and Cannon River Drug and Violent Offender Task Force in consultation with the Rice County Attorney’s Office is ongoing.
Speaking with Jeff Johnson on the KYMN Morning Show on Wednesday morning, without commenting on the specific incident, Northfield Chief of Police Mark Elliott said it will take some time and education to overcome the confusion surrounding the new laws.
“A lot of folks just don’t know what the changes mean and what is going to be legal and where it’s going to be legal. So, we’re in kind of this little quandary right now, little cart before the horse. I think. If you’ve got questions, the state website is a good one to get those questions answered at cannabis.mn.gov. And of course, our officers are available to answer those questions as well.”
Faribault Police Chief John Sherwin said through the statement that his department is committed to supporting businesses that will sell cannabis legally once the Office of Cannabis management is up and running. Until that time, however, it is incumbent upon every individual to know the laws.
Chief Elliott will be the guest on Public Policy This Week on Friday to discuss the new laws for a full hour.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Northfield Chief of Police Mark Elliott can be heard here
Arcadia invites hundreds of alumni to come home for reunion
Arcadia Charter School will celebrate its 20th Anniversary next week by hosting an all-class reunion, to which the entire Northfield area community is invited.
Arcadia Executive Director Laura Stelter said the school has reached out to more than 700 of its alumni, both graduates of Arcadia and of ARTech as the school was known for its first ten years, through postcards to their last known addresses, and has attempted to reach even more through social media. The event will honor all Arcadia students, past and present from the 20 people who graduated in May, to the 4 people who made up the first graduating class in 2004. The celebration will include carnival games and a dunk tank, live music provided by Arcadia alumni, poetry, and an art market fair where former students will show, and potentially sell, the work they have done since graduating. There will be a short program, as well, as the school honors the beloved theater teacher Bob Gregory Bjorklund, who retired at the end of the 2022-23 school year.
Originally founded in 2001 as the Northfield School of Arts and Technology, or ARTech for short, the school changed its name to Arcadia in 2012 to better reflect the full spectrum of education it offers for students in grades 6-12. Since its inception, the school has offered project-based learning as an alternative to the standard curriculum offered by Northfield Public Schools. Stetler said the celebration is open to the entire community as a show of thanks for the support Arcadia has received.
“It’s also an all-community celebration. We wouldn’t be here without the support of Northfield Public Schools, who is our authorizer, or the Northfield community, who really has given us a lot of support over the years as well. So, it’s really for everybody. It is an all-school reunion, but it’s also an all community gathering. We’d love to see everybody out there.”
She also said the school is planning an Information Night on August 16th. Those who have interest in their student attending Arcadia should attend, she said, because there is currently space available in most grades.
The Arcadia 20th Anniversary celebration is set for next Tuesday, August 8th, from 5-8pm on the school grounds.
For more information on Arcadia Charter School, visit arcadiacharterschool.org
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Laura Stelter of Arcadia Charter School can be heard here
NPB continues to add to programming
Northfield Public Broadcasting has added to its ever-expanding library of videos. NPB Station Manager Sam Temple said the standard samplings of local church services and civic meetings has been joined by some more service specific topics.
For example, he said, back in March, Tracy Davis Heisler was given Northfield’s Board and Commission Excellence Award for the work she has done with the Planning Commission, the Riverfront Enhancement Advisory Committee, and more. The announcement was made with a video produced for the Mayor’s State of the City address, and now Northfield Public broadcasting is offering an extended version of the video that goes more in-depth into her efforts with the City of Northfield, and gives more time to her nominator, Will Schroeer, to sing her praises and talk about why she is so worthy of the award.
Another new video follows Nurses with Rice County Public health as they make in-home visits to families with brand-new parents or caregivers. Temple said the opportunity to film new babies was almost his most favorite thing he has ever done.
“I know I’ve talked about how much I’ve enjoyed the dog swim at the pool. Filming animals and filming babies, that’s the fun stuff. They always say don’t work with children. Animals, but they’re cute, and I don’t have to compete with them. We just want to get more eyeballs on the screen – ‘Look at this cute stuff!’ That was that was that was a lot of fun. So that always makes my heart happy.”
Northfield Public Broadcasting can be found on the City of Northfield YouTube Channel, Spectrum Channels 180 and 187, or by clicking here.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
