Crystal Seeks Permanent Ban on Marijuana Use in Public Places
The city of Crystal currently has an interim ordinance that bans marijuana use in public places. The city wants to make the ordinance permanent.
“I think the reason for the interim ordinance in the first place, was because it was an intoxicating product,” said Crystal Community Development Director John Sutter. “It should be treated the same way in our parks, on our sidewalks and so forth, as alcohol is.”
The Crystal City Council discussed the issue at its April 2 meeting.
According to Troy Gilchrist, attorney representing Crystal, it’s up to cities to define what they consider “public places.”
“Part of that legislation didn’t define what public places are, instead defined it what aren’t public places,” said Gilchrist, referring to the state law legalizing marijuana that was approved last year.
Crystal’s interim ordinance, which has been in place the past six months, defines public spaces as parks, city-owned parking lots and rights-of-way such as sidewalks. The state’s Clean Indoor Air Act, also regulates marijuana use, much like cigarettes.
Marijuana Impact on Police
While marijuana use would be expected to increase following legalization, Crystal police say they have not seen an uptick in people using marijuana in public places since the state law took effect.
Crystal Deputy Police Chief Brian Hubbard told the council he would be supportive of the ordinance saying it provide another tool to assist officers in dealing with problem situations. However, he says officers don’t want to seek out negative interactions.
“Any person we have contact with, would I expect that the officer is going to cite them for cannabis use in the park? I would be pretty surprised if most of our officers would have a palette for that, especially on someone who is cooperative,” said Hubbard.
Under Crystal’s proposed ordinance, violators could be cited for a petty misdemeanor and a fine of up to $300. Final approval is expected at Crystal’s April 16 city council meeting.
