The purpose of this Division N is to restrict access by minors and to regulate the sale of any legalized adult-use product that contains tetrahydrocannabinol and that meets the requirements to be sold for human or animal consumption under M.S. § 151.72, as it may be amended from time to time, for the following reasons:
(a) M.S. § 151.72, as it may be amended from time to time, does not prohibit municipalities from adopting and enforcing local ordinances to regulate
;
(b) For adults, approximately one in ten marijuana users will become addicted. For those who start before age 18, the rate of addiction rises to one in six;
(c) Health concerns related to marijuana use include harm to the brain, especially when starting at a young age, mental health, cardiovascular health, and impaired driving;
(d) Recent marijuana use in youth and adults has an immediate impact on thinking, attention, memory, coordination, movement, and time perception;
(e) Marijuana affects brain development. Those at greatest at risk are teenagers, children, and infants. The higher the THC amount, the stronger the effects on the brain;
(f) Individuals who use marijuana are more likely to develop temporary psychosis and long-lasting mental disorders. This association is stronger in people who start using at an earlier age, use more frequently, and use higher amounts of THC;
(g) Edible
have a greater risk of poisoning from unintended ingestion or acute intoxication. Effects of THC poisoning include: trouble breathing, vomiting, dizziness, anxiety, panic and paranoia, difficulty walking, slurred speech, and rapid heart rate;
(h) Young kids are the most susceptive to THC poisoning due to biological factors like height and weight, concentration of THC, and appealing flavors and products like candies or gummies. Young children under ten are most likely to be admitted to the hospital than older children;
(i) From January 2021 to May 2022, national poison control centers received over 10,000 cases involving only edible
. 65% of these cases involved unintentional exposure and of these unintentional exposures, 91% were pediatric patients. 79% percent of the total cases (intended and unintended) required a health care facility evaluation;
(j) National Institute on Drug Abuse conducts Monitoring the Future study annually. In 2021, past-year, past-month, and daily marijuana use in young adults reached the highest levels ever recorded since these trends were first monitored in 1988. This is following a significant decrease in past-month use during the pandemic; and
(k) 2019 Minnesota Student Survey data found that 20.6% of 11th graders in Minnesota used marijuana in the last year and 15.5% had used in the last 30 days. In Bloomington the same survey found that 17% of 11th graders used marijuana in the last year and 12% in the last 30 days.
(Ord. 2022-55, passed 12-5-2022)