Scott Robinson, the mayor of Winnebago, Minn., and his son Jacob have been charged with the felony of allegedly growing marijuana. This is in relation to their cultivation of more than 23 cannabis plants.
The South Central Drug Investigation Unit says it searched three different properties belonging to Scott and Jacob Robertson Feb. 8. Court documents say authorities found 240 unregistered cannabis plants in properties owned by the Robertsons. Authorities say most of the strains had a listed THC content around 29-32%.
The Robertson’s had previously operated a licensed hemp operation, but that license had expired at the start of the year. Under Minnesota law each hemp crop needed to be registered with the Department of Agriculture, but the Robertson’s hadn’t registered a plant since 2021.
The South Central Drug Investigation Unit started their investigation back in January of 2023 and eventually followed an anonymous tip alerting agents to inspect a property where witnesses allegedly saw the Robertsons removing plants from the property before a search. While agents found no growing crops a second anonymous tip led to a round of subpoenas and eventual search warrants for the Robertsons property.
Both men were arrested and have since been released from the Faribault County Jail as they await hearings. Minnesota is the 23rd state to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Currently Minnesota law states a person age 21 or older may: Use, possess, or transport cannabis paraphernalia. Possess or transport up to 2 ounces of cannabis flower in a public place. Possess up to 2 pounds of cannabis flower in a person’s private residence.
