Duluth City Council bans smoking cannabis in public parks

Marijuana: What’s legal and what’s not?

With recreational marijuana now officially legal in Minnesota, there’s still some confusion as to what’s allowed and what’s not. FOX 9’s Nathan O’Neal breaks it down.

DULUTH, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Duluth City Council passed an ordinance that prohibits smoking cannabis in public parks and other areas of the city beginning in September.

The council held a meeting Monday night to clarify cannabis regulations in Duluth. Minnesota legalized recreational marijuana for adults over 21 years old on Aug. 1, but the new law left it up to cities whether to allow the use of cannabis in public areas.

In a 7-1 vote, the city council decided smoking or vaping cannabis is not allowed in public parks and will be prohibited "to the same extent as tobacco in certain city locations."

Smoking or ingesting prohibited substances is not allowed:

Within 100 feet of medical facilities
Within 15 feet of Duluth Transit Authority shelters
Anywhere smoking is prohibited by the Minnesota Clean Indoor Act
Within the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial
In public parks

The decision means people can’t smoke or vape within the nearly 130 parks and green spaces in Duluth. The new ordinance will go into effect starting on Wednesday, Sept. 13.

The city council did not come to an agreement on smoking violation fines and will debate the issue again later this month, according to FOX 21.