Staff photo by Fritz Busch New Ulm Police Chief Dave Borchert talks about how law enforcement deals with cannabis and related topics at a seminar with law enforcement and public health leaders at the New Ulm Conference Center Thursday.

NEW ULM — Law enforcement and public health leaders and a growing and retail company co-owner discussed cannabis at a seminar Thursday at the New Ulm Conference Center.

New Ulm Police Chief Dave Borchert summed up the topic early in the two-hour event.

“It’s a bit like the Wild West. It can be very confusing,” he said.

Borchert voiced other concerns too.

“More than 90 percent of marijuana we test is laced with fentanyl (a highly potent, potentially deadly opioid used mostly as pain medication for cancer patients and those recovering from surgery),” said Borchert. “Some dealers mix drugs on the garage floor. Sometime they get it right, sometimes they don’t.”

He said legal marijuana purchases would not contain fentanyl.

“Marijuana is being treated more like alcohol now that it’s legal in Minnesota,” said Borchert. “It’s not allowed in motor vehicles unless its in a sealed container. I’ve been to many calls for people influenced by alcohol. Illegal marijuana really concerns me. People can overdose on fentanyl thinking they are smoking marijuana.”

Patrolman Greg Miller said law enforcement’s biggest issues with marijuana are that people don’t know how they can legally transport it and that it impairs driving.

“Most people didn’t know much about adult-use marijuana when it came legal in Minnesota on August 1, 2023,” he said. “Some people do it the right way, buying it at dispensaries. Others get it from a dealer and don’t care as much about being legal.”

He said many people use old pill bottles to carry marijuana.

“We want people to be educated about marijuana and use it responsibly, especially when they’re driving,” he said. “My best advice is for drivers to keep their marijuana in a locked bag in the trunk of their vehicle.”

He said recreational cannabis users can’t possess more than two ounces of it in public.

Brown County Public Health Educator Erin Schwab said what bothers her about child cannabis use is “their brains can be tricked into thinking it’s natural for them and makes them feel good.”

“Most human brains don’t fully develop until age 25 or 26,” she said. “When talking to youth about it, keep an open mind, put yourself in their shoes, be clear about goals like school grades and activity eligibility. Be calm and positive.”

Schwab said the Minnesota Youth Survey of marijuana shows that 4% of eighth-graders, 10% of sophomores and 18% of juniors admitted to using cannabis.

Presenter Glenn Hauser of Lafayette said he hopes to soon open a cannabis retail store, Four North, located at 4 Minnesota Street North. He is a co-owner of Brickside Growers, located in the former Lafayette Charter School.

“I’m a farmer and carpenter,” said Hauser. “All cannabis sold in Minnesota dispensaries is very well tested for things including pesticides, mold and heavy metals. My store will have lots of security measures including 24 high-definition cameras, seven motion detectors. All doors will be key-coded. Visitors must be scanned and proven to be age 21 or older.”

Borchert said police will be visiting local cannabis establishments.

“We hope everybody follows regulations,” he said.

Minnesota Department of Health cannabis recommendations including users waiting purchasing from an authorized retailer, storing it in a safe, secure place and talking to their healthcare provider to learn how cannabis may interact with prescriptions.

For more information, visit www.powerofpublichealthmn.com.