(ABC 6 News) – A Freeborn County judge filed an order last week, requiring the City of Albert Lea to issue a cannabis retail registration to Jacob Schlichter, file a motion indicating why the city had good cause not to issue the license, or appear in court Oct. 13 to plead its case.

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Jacob Schlichter, an Albert Lea man who touted his plans to open the first cannabis retail business in the State of Minnesota earlier this year, has filed two civil petitions against the City, which denied his registration at the City level.

Freeborn Judge Christy Hormann determined that “The Court finds that the specific language of the Albert Lea City Ordinances §5.023(b) and Minnesota Statute §342.22, subd. 3(a) mandate an issuance of a retail registration to a state-licensed cannabis retail business that meets a certain set of requirements.
Therefore, the City Council’s refusal to approve Petitioners application was a failure to perform an official duty clearly imposed by law.”

However, the City of Albert Lea may still argue its own case in county court – which they intend to do.

“The City is not considering the option of issuing a license to Mr. Schlichter at this time,” City Administrator Ian Rigg told ABC 6 News Tuesday.

Schlichter also has an open case in Appeals court, in which a detailed City Council agenda for the Aug. 11 meeting was filed last week.

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The new filing details the City of Albert Lea’s concerns about Schlichter — namely, that he pleaded guilty to contributing to the need for child protection or services in 2017.

Court documents alleged that in 2016, at age 20, Schlichter conducted a sexual and romantic relationship with a juvenile girl, drover her from Texas to Minnesota, and concealed her at his home.

Albert Lea’s city council agenda indicates that officials were concerned about Schlichter’s previous criminal history.

The city council later added a criminal background check to their process for approving business licenses.