ROCHESTER - Olmsted County is getting ready to enforce compliance rules for businesses that sell low-dose hemp products.
The Olmsted County Board on Tuesday approved new regulations for area businesses selling hemp edibles, including age checks and potential fines for violations.
The move comes as state officials turn enforcement for THC age compliance over to municipal and county governments.
Olmsted County has about 120 businesses affected by the new rules, not counting those in Byron and Pine Island, as those communities have opted to oversee enforcement themselves.
Under the new rules mirroring area tobacco sales policies, businesses in Olmsted County could pay a $300 fine for their first violation, then $600 for another violation within three years.
A third failed check would result in a $1,000 fine and a seven-day license suspension, with subsequent violations yielding similar fines and 30-day suspensions.
Olmsted County also banned smoking at businesses that sell low-dose THC products, and set rules for how people could use those products at businesses that sell them.
Though some residents called for stricter guidelines at Tuesday’s meeting, Board Chair Mark Thein said commissioners ultimately ruled those out.
