NEW: Albert Lea council drops second vote for cannabis licensee due to past conviction, new restraining order

The Albert Lea City Council declined to hold a second vote for cannabis licensee Jacob Schlichter’s business registration on Monday night.

Schlichter, owner of The Smoking Tree in Albert Lea, did not get approval — or even a second vote — on his business registration.

Instead, two other dispensaries were approved during the meeting— the only two the council is required to register under state law: Chris Gracia, operating under Matchbox Farms MN, LLC; and Cristina Aranquiz, operating under Black Husky, LLC.

Schlichter concerns “have not been resolved and only worsened”

The first vote to grant Schlichter’s registration on July 28 resulted in a narrow rejection: three in favor, and four against. At the time, Albert Lea City Manager Ian Rigg said the decision was not an “affirmative denial,” but a pause to address “unresolved concerns” about Schlichter.

During the meeting Monday night, however, Rigg said those concerns remain: “Concerns brought to the attention of elected officials and staff have not been resolved and only worsened.”

“The type of crime that was pled down to a gross misdemeanor involved a romantic relationship with a minor” when Schlichter was 20 and the individual was 16, “but had started four years prior while the individual was 12 years old,” Rigg said.

“More concerning is the fact that the applicant has shown disdain or inability to follow lawful orders and legal requirements,” added Rigg. “This would include violations of probation, having contact with minors at the high school, statements to the press about opening regardless of registration, and most recently a new restraining order against the licensee within the last week.”

According to a Fox 9 report, Schlichter told the outlet that once he obtains cannabis products, he plans to sell them regardless of not having city registration, saying he will be following state law. The outlet also reported that Schlichter indicated he may file a lawsuit against the city if the council rejects his registration.

However, city officials said they are not obligated to register someone simply because they hold a state license. Local governments are allowed to vet applicants and conduct their own background checks, so long as they do not establish a practice of denial without cause.

“If [Albert Lea] shows a pattern or history of denial without any reason then we could face potential repercussions or actions by the state, but at this time the OCM (Office of Cannabis Management) is not requiring that you must approve this applicant and not that applicant,” stated Rigg.

In the end, Rigg recommended against approving Schlichter’s business, and no council members brought it to a vote.

Harassment order leads to public statement

The harassment restraining order referenced by Rigg was granted Aug. 1 to Abbi Brinkman, who posted a public statement to Facebook alleging nearly a decade of stalking and intimidation by Schlichter.

“Writing and posting this is deeply vulnerable and exhausting. I wish I didn’t have to make a public statement about my trauma, but I feel it is necessary to speak up at this time,” Brinkman wrote, saying she is “deeply grateful” to St. Louis County for granting her protection.

Brinkman also explained, “My goal in speaking up is to protect myself, my family, and our communities from [Schlichter] and his abusive behavior,” she wrote. “Let this serve as a wake-up call to the courts and law enforcement agencies, especially in smaller counties, that cyber-stalking and cyber-harassment deserve serious attention.”

Brinkman said the harassment began when she was a sophomore in high school and continued into adulthood. She alleged that Schlichter used a fake account called “Sei Ko” to send her dozens of abusive and threatening messages after she commented publicly about his business being denied.

The “Sei Ko” account was used to promote a defamatory website targeting Alpha News reporter Jenna Gloeb. The website included Gloeb’s home address, photos of her minor children, and false claims about her.

Records show that website domain was purchased just hours after Gloeb first contacted Schlichter for comment about an article that included his past criminal conviction.

A disturbing history

Alpha News previously reported about Schlichter’s 2017 criminal conviction for contributing to the need for child protection or services. Prosecutors said Schlichter, who was then-20-years-old, drove a 16-year-old girl he met online from Texas to Minnesota, where she told authorities they had a sexual relationship. According to the girl, she first met Schlichter when she was 12.

Schlichter’s record also includes probation violations that led to jail time and a string of lawsuits filed between 2022 and 2024 that were later dismissed.

State officials say Schlichter’s record does not include offenses that automatically bar cannabis licensure.

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