On Monday October 20, Gov. Tim Walz and the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management announced that the Prairie Island Indian Community has signed a cannabis compact with the state. The agreement recognizes the tribe's authority to regulate and sell cannabis.
The compacts include provisions that create opportunities for tribes to partner with those dispensaries to sell tribally grown cannabis products, which is notable at a time when state-licensed dispensaries are struggling to meet demand for adult-use cannabis products.
The tribal nation has indicated interest in expanding both its retail operations and cultivation wholesaling into the state market. In a news release from the Office of Cannabis Management, Grant Johnson, president of the Prairie Island Indian Community Tribal Council, said, "We're grateful to have this compact completed, and we're excited to continue meeting demand in Minnesota's growing adult-use cannabis market with the exceptional cannabis products we are producing."
Two years ago, when they legalized adult-use cannabis, lawmakers envisioned a role for tribally regulated markets. In creating the state's cannabis law, the Minnesota Legislature directed the governor to negotiate agreements with tribal nations in the state to, among other reasons, secure a well-regulated cannabis market.
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