Anoka County, MN Public Conduct: Public Marijuana Use (2026)

The ordinance responds to Minnesota's 2023 legalization of adult-use cannabis: Minn. 0263, subd. 5, lets counties create a petty misdemeanor for cannabis use in public places, and the Board adopted this ban under that authority plus its general powers under Minn. 51. 2 as real property the county owns, leases, or controls under any agreement. 8 covers any indoor or outdoor area the public may access by right or invitation, any area owned by a public entity, and any area used as a place of employment; it can also reach otherwise-private property if the owner has expressly barred cannabis use there.

8: a private residence, including its curtilage or yard, and the premises of an establishment or event licensed for on-site consumption. 9 to include ingesting, inhaling, smoking, vaporizing, or even discarding a cannabis substance. The definitions of cannabis flower, cannabis product, hemp-derived consumer product, and lower-potency hemp edible all track Minn. 01. Because the ordinance reaches only county-owned or leased land, such as county parks, the Anoka County Government Center campus, and county libraries, it does not touch cannabis use on residential property or on land owned by cities such as Blaine, Coon Rapids, or Anoka. The Board of Commissioners adopted the ordinance on October 10, 2023, effective upon passage and publication.