.jpg)
Government regulation and vices have never proven to be a good mix.
One needs only to look back at Prohibition and what resulted to learn freedoms are better left in place than taken away.
Let’s apply this to the latest local government dilemma, what to do about the sale of cannabis and cannabis related products in the city limits.
For example, if the city were to regulate alcohol in the same manner being proposed for cannabis, there wouldn’t be a bar open in their current locations.
That’s the most glaring red flag that emerges from cannabis ordinances up for debate Tuesday at City Hall.
It would be best if council members took a giant step back and looked at this issue with fresh eyes. From the outside looking in, what’s being proposed seems over the top and almost akin to the Reverend in the famous movie “Footloose” who set out to ban dancing.
State lawmakers took action and deemed marijuana legal in the state of Minnesota, both for recreational use and for commercial sales. Ely shouldn’t be an outlier and take steps that would severely limit the use of a legal product, very similar to alcohol.
The ordinance can be fixed by removing the buffer zones or at least making them reasonable and/ or the same as they are for bars. Having a limited area of just a few blocks in town doesn’t pass the smell test, even if weed is the smell.
We’re big proponents of common sense and freedom. While we understand for some people there is a fear factor with the cannabis issue, the difference is now it is legal. We’re not talking about people standing on the street corner selling dime bags, this is something adults can now purchase legally.
Over-regulating where cannabis can be sold doesn’t make sense. Sure, having it next to the school isn’t smart, but to put in buffer zones that severely restrict eligible business locations isn’t either.
We will also say that this is the result of one party being in control of our state government. There weren’t checks and balances when this was approved, in fact the DFL rammed this through and it was signed by the governor with very little if any changes sought by Republicans.
If you don’t like when a long-standing issue gets changed and it impacts your life, maybe we should work to bring back balance in state government.
But to have it be over-regulated in Ely isn’t going to change that cannabis is legal and it will be sold and consumed in our community. For those keeping track, this has been going on illegally forever.
