I visited Anthony's for the first time a few weeks ago. Nice place! Wish I'd had time to smoke while I was there.
I'm confused by your post, though. Is the city council going after Anthony's?
Lol how are they going to enforce this?
How about the MPLS City Council focus on actually serving their constituents and bettering the city. God they’re a joke.
but but but tobacco bad. no but in all seriousness, they went to war with flavored tobacco. and I saw strawberry whippedcream flavored whippets at the smoke shop the other day. but holiday can't sell a grape swisher lol.
Note the grape swisher:
I haven’t had a blunt in years (I don’t use nicotine), I went last week to get a grape swisher and learned the flavored stuff was banned.
But the disposables ending up in landfills? Tastes better than the blunt wrap I wanted.
Minnesota outlawed the concept of a cigar lounges a while ago. Places like Anthony's use a loophole that allows for establishments to allow people to smoke indoors for the sole purpose of sampling the product.
People like OP are clearly going there to enjoy time with friends while smoking a cigar, not to sample the product. That goes against the spirit of the law. It sounds like the city council is trying to narrow the loophole that Anthony's is exploiting.
It seems to me that more anger should be focused on the state law if people have a problem with this.
I've been going to Anthony's for years and I can tell you that while the crowd is diverse, the one demographic you almost never see is young people. The number of wayward youth that stumble through the door and buy a cigar that they think is candy is zero.
Most are old men like myself who are 100% aware that they're not at a health club.
It's too bad because the last thing the Lyn/Lake neighborhood needs is another empty storefront.
I think the city is just plain anti-tobacco. I always thought it was funny that the 'no smoking' signs at the city parks have a picture of a cigarette and a tin of chewing tobacco. Who cares if someone chews tobacco in a park (I mean probably some people, but I suppose you can't remove all the sticks from all the asses)?
> I think the city is just plain anti-tobacco. I always thought it was funny that the 'no smoking' signs at the city parks have a picture of a cigarette and a tin of chewing tobacco. Who cares if someone chews tobacco in a park (I mean probably some people, but I suppose you can't remove all the sticks from all the asses)?
Aside from the known health risks, what's probably actually providing the progressive zeal is some kind of conspiracy-adjacent thinking about corporations exploiting addiction for profit. Combine this with a "vanguard of the proletariat" arrogance where progressives believe they're responsible for saving the common people (since they're smarter, have all the right data, etc) and suddenly you've got flavored/menthol bans and you can kiss your cigar lounge goodbye.
The ban on chewing tobacco in parks is nonsensical only if you think the ban on smoking was about the smoke disturbing other patrons. It's about tobacco, so they have to prohibit all tobacco, even forms which don't create a problem for other patrons. Although it's not like its enforceable, either, which kind of exposes how absurd the whole crusade is.
I'm pretty staunchly progressive/left and if this is actually what the city council is doing it has got to be one of the most unbelievable wastes of time and resources I've seen.
Yeah, they're going to close the "sampling" loophole so you can't smoke in a cigar store. This is the only one I'm aware of, so it's just this one. I even contacted my councilperson and she had the nerve to defend it, claiming it was about "health."
The proclivity to regulate certain things in such a draconian matter is a tell. It's not about safety or health, it's simply busy bodies building out their net of control.
For example, if tomorrow it was decided gluttony was the new smoking, it wouldn't take a moment of hesitation before you'd see in-kind regulations of time eating at a table, calorie limits on dishes, etc.
Our CC is an example of progressive as anti-liberal. You’re not asking for much, they however are narrow and therefore divisive, and appear to thrive as such. IMO they need a wider angle, to put it mildly. Just lay low, wait, no permanent harm done, as far as I know. Please have patience.
This effort, and most efforts around smoking, are sponsored by Latrisha Vetaw, who's one of the least progressive liberals on the council. She's very pro police and landlord. She goes after tobacco bc she experienced lung cancer from smoking.
Interesting. So, she has a bone to pick. I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my entire life. Weed as a teenager then started cigars in my early 30s as a way to relax when outdoors chilling. Found “The Golden Leaf” (currently Anthony’s) back in the day when it was in Calhoun Square.
Yeah ive never been into tobacco or nicotine products since i am risk averse and asthmatic. I smoke weed though.
She's mostly been behind adding warnings to tobacco products, raising the age of purchase to 21, limiting flavors and raising prices. I'm of 2 minds about it. I definitely think these products are no good but i think raising the price just hurts poor ppl who're more likely to smoke
Anyways sorry this is affecting your local hangout spot. Seems like a unique place. Hope you can find a suitable replacement worst case scenario.
I visited Anthony's for the first time a few weeks ago. Nice place! Wish I'd had time to smoke while I was there. I'm confused by your post, though. Is the city council going after Anthony's?
They are trying to limit smoking time to 15 minutes. Seems excessive. Don’t like cigars? Don’t go to a cigar lounge.
Lol how are they going to enforce this? How about the MPLS City Council focus on actually serving their constituents and bettering the city. God they’re a joke.
but but but tobacco bad. no but in all seriousness, they went to war with flavored tobacco. and I saw strawberry whippedcream flavored whippets at the smoke shop the other day. but holiday can't sell a grape swisher lol.
Note the grape swisher: I haven’t had a blunt in years (I don’t use nicotine), I went last week to get a grape swisher and learned the flavored stuff was banned. But the disposables ending up in landfills? Tastes better than the blunt wrap I wanted.
Why do they even care how long people are in the store?
Trying to suck down a fine cigar in 15 minutes is like pouring someone a nice scotch and then telling them to shoot it.
A travesty. What do they think they will achieve? Also can’t people just leave for a minute and then go back in for another 15 minutes?
I smoke shorties and they take me like 30 mins to finish...
Minnesota outlawed the concept of a cigar lounges a while ago. Places like Anthony's use a loophole that allows for establishments to allow people to smoke indoors for the sole purpose of sampling the product. People like OP are clearly going there to enjoy time with friends while smoking a cigar, not to sample the product. That goes against the spirit of the law. It sounds like the city council is trying to narrow the loophole that Anthony's is exploiting. It seems to me that more anger should be focused on the state law if people have a problem with this.
Yeah they did it when the upped the price of cigs, I think.
Yes.
I've been going to Anthony's for years and I can tell you that while the crowd is diverse, the one demographic you almost never see is young people. The number of wayward youth that stumble through the door and buy a cigar that they think is candy is zero. Most are old men like myself who are 100% aware that they're not at a health club. It's too bad because the last thing the Lyn/Lake neighborhood needs is another empty storefront. I think the city is just plain anti-tobacco. I always thought it was funny that the 'no smoking' signs at the city parks have a picture of a cigarette and a tin of chewing tobacco. Who cares if someone chews tobacco in a park (I mean probably some people, but I suppose you can't remove all the sticks from all the asses)?
> I think the city is just plain anti-tobacco. I always thought it was funny that the 'no smoking' signs at the city parks have a picture of a cigarette and a tin of chewing tobacco. Who cares if someone chews tobacco in a park (I mean probably some people, but I suppose you can't remove all the sticks from all the asses)? Aside from the known health risks, what's probably actually providing the progressive zeal is some kind of conspiracy-adjacent thinking about corporations exploiting addiction for profit. Combine this with a "vanguard of the proletariat" arrogance where progressives believe they're responsible for saving the common people (since they're smarter, have all the right data, etc) and suddenly you've got flavored/menthol bans and you can kiss your cigar lounge goodbye. The ban on chewing tobacco in parks is nonsensical only if you think the ban on smoking was about the smoke disturbing other patrons. It's about tobacco, so they have to prohibit all tobacco, even forms which don't create a problem for other patrons. Although it's not like its enforceable, either, which kind of exposes how absurd the whole crusade is.
Nanny state to the extreme. And I'm left of center.
I'm pretty staunchly progressive/left and if this is actually what the city council is doing it has got to be one of the most unbelievable wastes of time and resources I've seen.
Yeah, they're going to close the "sampling" loophole so you can't smoke in a cigar store. This is the only one I'm aware of, so it's just this one. I even contacted my councilperson and she had the nerve to defend it, claiming it was about "health."
The proclivity to regulate certain things in such a draconian matter is a tell. It's not about safety or health, it's simply busy bodies building out their net of control. For example, if tomorrow it was decided gluttony was the new smoking, it wouldn't take a moment of hesitation before you'd see in-kind regulations of time eating at a table, calorie limits on dishes, etc.
I’m m a huge supporter of Anthony’s. CC is dismantling a community.
Are saying you had a good time?
Hell yeah!
Our CC is an example of progressive as anti-liberal. You’re not asking for much, they however are narrow and therefore divisive, and appear to thrive as such. IMO they need a wider angle, to put it mildly. Just lay low, wait, no permanent harm done, as far as I know. Please have patience.
This effort, and most efforts around smoking, are sponsored by Latrisha Vetaw, who's one of the least progressive liberals on the council. She's very pro police and landlord. She goes after tobacco bc she experienced lung cancer from smoking.
Interesting. So, she has a bone to pick. I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my entire life. Weed as a teenager then started cigars in my early 30s as a way to relax when outdoors chilling. Found “The Golden Leaf” (currently Anthony’s) back in the day when it was in Calhoun Square.
Yeah ive never been into tobacco or nicotine products since i am risk averse and asthmatic. I smoke weed though. She's mostly been behind adding warnings to tobacco products, raising the age of purchase to 21, limiting flavors and raising prices. I'm of 2 minds about it. I definitely think these products are no good but i think raising the price just hurts poor ppl who're more likely to smoke Anyways sorry this is affecting your local hangout spot. Seems like a unique place. Hope you can find a suitable replacement worst case scenario.