Renville County approved its first permit for the growing of cannabis intended for medicinal or recreational use. The Renville County Board approved the permit on a unanimous vote on April 28.
The Renville County Planning Commission had recommended approval of the permit. It allows Theodore Refsland and Stefanie Ward to raise cannabis on a farm property in Wang Township on the county's west end near Hawk Creek.
Theodore Refsland and Ward have obtained preliminary approval from the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management to operate a microbusiness. The permit they are seeking from the county would allow them to raise up to one-half acre of flowering plants on a 17.80-acre parcel. Kelly O'Neill, assistant director of Renville County Environmental Services, told the Renville County Board at its work session on April 21 that the Planning Commission recommended nine conditions for the permit. They include requirements for security fencing, lighting and camera systems.
Cannabis cultivation is already part of the Renville County landscape. In 2020, brothers Tim and Paul Seehusen launched Prairie PROducers LLC for the processing of hemp. The Olivia company contracts with growers in the area to raise the hemp.
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