Is It Legal To Smoke A Joint While Ice Fishing In Minnesota?

We are in a strange new time where cannabis and law enforcement are trying to figure out the new legalization together. Heck, even the state government can't seem to get retail going anytime soon.

I was out ice fishing this weekend on a lake in Northern Minnesota when I noticed a group was sharing a joint while standing on the ice. No big deal, right? It's legal now for recreational use. But I was curious, could they get in trouble for that?

Read More: Minnesota On Pace To Be 5th Slowest Cannabis Rollout Among States

It was a reminder to me that I don't know the laws all that well. So, I looked it up and found out that there's a lot more to it than a yes or no answer.

Minnesota Laws Smoking Cannabis in Public

According to the law, you can't smoke or vaporize cannabis in places you can't smoke tobacco. But what about outside on a lake? That's harmless, right?

Local Ordinances Dictate Public Use

It's up to the local community to create an ordinance to ban cannabis consumption in public places. Some cities have already done this. If the lake you are on is in a city or a community that bans it, you're breaking the law.

In Most Cases, It's Totally Legal

Beyond local ordinances, it's perfectly legal to smoke or vape cannabis outside. So if you are on a public lake that doesn't have any ordinances, smoke away.

There are exceptions!

Here's where things get a little hazy. You can't smoke or vape cannabis if a kid could inhale it. So that means if you have kids nearby, you could be breaking the law. It doesn't specify how far away you need to be, just that it can't enter their lungs.

Also, you need to make sure on your state land and not federal land, like a National Park because cannabis is still federally illegal.

The Minnesota DNR originally tried to get the same authority as cities and counties to restrict use at State parks and campgrounds, but MPR reports that it really has been a non-issue. See, everybody just needs to chill. It's ok.