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Citing concerns about enforcement and liability, the Albert Lea City Council has narrowly blocked its first cannabis dispensary from opening.
In a statement on its website, the city said the council would continue to “review the approval process for registering cannabis businesses.”
At the meeting, some council members expressed concern about selling cannabis at all.
That included council member Larry Baker. He said legislators who made cannabis legal in 2023 are wresting policy control from smaller communities.
“We should have a say into what and how we want to do this. I get tired of control taken whether it’s by state or federal government,” he said. “We know what’s best for us.”
But Jacob Schlichter, whose retail establishment The Smoking Tree is now in question, argued he'd met all the state requirements for opening the dispensary, including getting his license from the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management earlier this month.
Cities cannot block retailers that meet state requirements, but they can restrict where they are located, for instance.
Schlichter said he took concerns from community members and local officials about drug use seriously. He told the council he’s lost friends who have overdosed and died from much more potent drugs.
“When others here mention drugs and overdoses, and the negativity surrounding that, trust me. I’ve been there, I hear that. I want to make it,” he said, arguing that cannabis is far safer than heroin or fentanyl.
Because Schlichter had been given a state license to sell cannabis, Albert Lea's city attorney warned that the council's decision could prompt legal action as a result.
Retail cannabis was legalized in 2023, and non-tribal retailers are expected to start opening this year.
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