Council clears municipal liquor store to sell hemp-derived low-dose THC products, contingent on written due diligence

Matt Olsen, manager of Lindstrom Liquors, requested permission to add regulated, low-dose hemp-derived THC products (commercially available edibles and beverages) to the municipal store's offerings to regain customers and generate revenue. Olsen presented industry comparisons, sales projections and supplier support and said some neighboring retailers already sell similar products.

Council members raised operational questions — insurance coverage, whether point-of-sale and tax reporting can separate product lines, staff training and potential public-safety concerns regarding driving impairment — and asked the manager to supply a written implementation plan. The council approved the request unanimously but made approval contingent on receiving a written claim-by-claim due-diligence package from Olsen documenting insurance coverage, POS/tax processing steps, staff training, sourcing and inventory projections. "So we'd greatly appreciate if you could put that in writing and work with him on this because saying it is cool, but we're not here," the mayor said.