MARSHALL — This week, the Marshall City Council voted to introduce another update to ordinances regulating cannabis in city limits. The proposed ordinance, which focuses on temporary cannabis events, could be the last of several passed by the city, said Marshall City Attorney Pam Whitmore.

Whitmore said state cannabis legislation allows people to organize cannabis-related events that can last up to four days.

“Just like with other cannabis businesses, cities cannot prohibit these completely from happening,” Whitmore said. “But we can put parameters up. In fact, we can do more regulation on these than we can do with the other cannabis businesses.”

Whitmore said the draft ordinance had gone through the city council’s Legislative and Ordinance committee. The proposed ordinance on temporary cannabis events sets up an application process for events to be approved by the city, and regulates where and when the events can be held. Cannabis events could only be held between 7 a.m. and 10:30 p.m.

The proposed ordinance also allows the city to be reimbursed for the cost of any special services brought on by a cannabis event, Whitmore said.

The proposed ordinance prohibits cannabis events from being held within 1,000 feet of a school. Whitmore said this buffer was larger than the 500-foot buffers approved for cannabis businesses in Marshall.

The exception to the buffer rule would be for the Red Baron Arena and Expo, Whitmore said. Under the draft ordinance, cannabis events could be held at the facility on days when school isn’t in session.

“On-site consumption was allowed, after discussion from L&O,” Whitmore said. “Those on-site consumption areas for these events have to comply with state laws, and our ordinances as well. So there’s things that are in there with respect to screening and age restrictions,” she said.

In discussion of the proposal, council member James Lozinski asked how the ordinance would interact with policies at Southwest Minnesota State University. The 1,000-foot buffer zone around the Alternative Learning Center at the SMSU campus included many of the campus educational buildings, but didn’t extend as far as the residence halls.

“I’m not familiar with them,” council member John Alcorn said of university policies at the residence halls.

Council members voted to introduce the draft ordinance on cannabis events.