Several Minnesota cities plan to adopt public marijuana ordinances
By DAVID SCHUMAN
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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — When marijuana is legalized in Minnesota next week, people will be allowed to smoke or vape in public places, like parks or on sidewalks.
Local governments can decide if they want to make that a petty misdemeanor.
A number of cities are looking at adopting such ordinances, including Inver Grove Heights, Apple Valley, Prior Lake, Duluth, Rochester and Lakeville.
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“The last thing I want to do is to create a situation where people are deterred, especially from outside of Lakeville, to come and try our restaurants because someone might be smoking pot in the parking lot,” said Lakeville Mayor Luke Hellier.
Juanita Ostendorf, a mother who took her children to a Lakeville park, and Jake Willenbring, an employee at a Lakeville CBD store, both agree with the ban on public smoking.
“Nobody wants to have their kids at a park with a group of people smoking weed right next to you,” Willenbring said. “I just don’t know how possible that would be to keep it respectful for everybody on a large scale.”
Ostendorf also worries it might cause people not to attend community parks and events.
The law already bans smoking in cars, on public transportation, in schools and indoor gathering places, like bars.
St. Paul officials told WCCO they’re still looking at the issue of smoking in public.
Minneapolis says it’s mostly focused right now on setting up the framework for retail sales.
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