The successes and challenges of rebuilding on Minneapolis’ Lake Street

07/11/22 • 51 min

Two years ago, important business corridors in the Twin Cities were damaged by civil unrest that followed the police killing of George Floyd — most notably, Lake Street in Minneapolis.

Many of these businesses were owned by immigrants and people of color. Some of them were completely burned to the ground.

Today, many businesses have reopened, and Lake Street is on its way to recovery from the damage and the setbacks from the COVID-19 pandemic.

MPR News host Angela Davis spoke with nonprofit leaders and business owners about the efforts to rebuild and revitalize businesses on Lake Street.

Guests:

Allison Sharkey is the executive director of Lake Street Council.

David Nicholson is the Vibrant and Equitable Communities program director at the McKnight Foundation.

Two years ago, important business corridors in the Twin Cities were damaged by civil unrest that followed the police killing of George Floyd — most notably, Lake Street in Minneapolis.

Many of these businesses were owned by immigrants and people of color. Some of them were completely burned to the ground.

Today, many businesses have reopened, and Lake Street is on its way to recovery from the damage and the setbacks from the COVID-19 pandemic.

MPR News host Angela Davis spoke with nonprofit leaders and business owners about the efforts to rebuild and revitalize businesses on Lake Street.

Guests:

Allison Sharkey is the executive director of Lake Street Council.

David Nicholson is the Vibrant and Equitable Communities program director at the McKnight Foundation.

Previous Episode

Summer is a great time for birdwatching in Minnesota

Many people got into birdwatching during the COVID-19 lockdown. For some, it was a way to spend time outdoors in nature. For others, it was simply a way to slow down and notice what was happening outside the window.

And, once people started paying attention to birds, many never stopped.

Here in Minnesota, summer is a great time to keep an eye out for nests and baby birds. This week also is the start of the fall migration. That’s right, some shorebirds are already starting their flight south.

MPR News host Angela Davis spoke with Sharon Stiteler, also known as the “Birdchick," about what the birds are up, where to spot them and small things everyone can do to protect them.

Guest:

Sharon Stiteler, also known as the “Birdchick," fell in love with birds at age 7 when someone gave her a Peterson Field Guide to Birds. She’s now an avid bird watcher and author of several books, including “North American Bird Watching for Beginners: Field Notes on 150 Species to Start Your Birding Adventures,” published this spring. She splits her time between Alaska and Minnesota.

Next Episode

Ask us anything about Minnesota's new THC edibles law

As of July 1, 2022, edibles containing small amounts of hemp-derived THC are legal in Minnesota.

Under the law, Minnesotans can buy food and beverages that contain up to 5 milligrams of THC per serving, with a limit of 50 milligrams per package. THC is the psychoactive compound that delivers the “high” associated with marijuana. This is the biggest step Minnesota has taken towards legalizing recreational marijuana.

MPR News host Angela Davis spoke with two lawyers who specialize in cannabis law about Minnesota’s new law, how it compares to cannabis laws in other states and what all this means for Minnesotans.

Guests:

Jay Wexler is a professor of law at Boston University. He is the author of the forthcoming book, “Weed Rules: Blazing the Way to a Just and Joyous Marijuana Policy.”

Jason Tarasek is an attorney, the founder of the Minnesota Cannabis Law firm and a board member of the Minnesota Cannabis Association.

Below are highlights from the discussion. Quotes have been edited for length and clarity. Listen to the full conversation using the audio player above or by searching MPR News with Angela Davis wherever you get your podcasts.

What exactly does this new law in Minnesota do and what doesn't it do?

Tarasek: It's a groundbreaking piece of legislation. For the first time ever in Minnesota, consumers can purchase THC infused food and beverages. Of course that THC needs to be hemp-derived which makes us unique in the country. So we're not a full adult use marijuana state but we have taken a big step towards that. There are no restrictions on who can sell and where it can be sold.

What’s the difference between hemp and marijuana?

Tarasek: It’s kind of confusing. Cannabis is sort of the catch all term and that can refer to both hemp and marijuana which many people are surprised to learn is the same plant. So the distinction is a legal one.

The federal law and regulations and the state law and regulations around this say hemp is defined as a plant or its derivatives containing 0.3 percent delta 9 THC or less. Anything over that threshold is considered marijuana. So that's the distinction but it's the same plant, looks very much the same, smells the same, the THC is the same but that is the distinction.

What kinds of products are allowed under this new law?

Tarasek: The thing that retailers were stocked for since this was sort of a surprise to a lot of us were gummies. So most people right now are going to be consuming gummies that they can buy in packages up to 50 milligrams. But the serving size is recommended to be 5 milligrams. And there's no limit on how many bags you can buy.

Have you kept in touch with those store owners? How are they doing two weeks out?

Tarasek: They were not necessarily stocked for the demand. And they sold out. The retailers that I spoke to sold out in a matter of days. And so they are scrambling now trying to get more product. I am doing my best to connect them with gummy manufacturers and other states. So we're hoping to have them restocked soon. But you know, it was pretty obvious. There was a lot of pent up demand among Minnesota consumers for this. And I think the politicians are going to take take note of that.

Tell us more about the packaging.

Tarasek: The legislators, to their credit, went to great lengths to make sure this is an adult use product. So this can't be marketed to children. You can't manufacture them. You can't call them like fruit loop gummies are things that would appeal to children. They're tamper proof. So we've taken strides to make sure they don't fall into the hands of children or teens.

What stands out about this law compared to those in other states?

Wexler: The law is completely unique among all cannabis legalization laws in the states so far. What happens in pretty much every state that's legalized for recreational use up till now is the people of the state or the legislature of the state basically vote to make cannabis legal. And then they delegate authority to some sort of agency.

And that agency takes a long time coming up with regulations that authorize retailers and cultivators to become licensed, and they get a license. And then they're regulated by the state pretty closely about how much they can grow and what conditions they have to grow under, what environmental regulations they have to follow. And retailers have to foll...