Prairie Island Indian Community plans to open cannabis dispensary this summer
PRAIRIE ISLAND INDIAN COMMUNITY, Minn. — The Prairie Island Indian Community plans to open a cannabis dispensary as soon as this summer.
The PIIC said Thursday Island Peži will open in the next few months "subject to obtaining all necessary Tribal licensure and approval."
The reservation is located near Red Wing, about an hour southeast of the Twin Cities. The dispensary will be located next to Dakota Station on Prairie Island, the Tribe said.
"Island Peži is a step forward in our efforts to diversify our economy and strengthen our Tribe's long-term financial sovereignty," Prairie Island Tribal Council President Grant Johnson said. "We're excited to be among the first to enter the cannabis market and create new opportunities for the future of our Tribe."
The PIIC has its own Cannabis Regulatory Commission, which will oversee the dispensary's business activity.
Last year, Minnesota became the 23rd state to legalize recreational cannabis use. A study earlier this year found the state will need nearly 400 dispensaries to comply with state law, which requires a dispensary for every 12,500 Minnesotans.
The Red Lake Nation opened the state's first recreational dispensary last summer, but the Tribal Council said in February it will step away from day-to-day operations following theft allegations later determined to be false.
The White Earth Nation also operates a recreational dispensary.
The state's first cannabis growing facility is under construction on sovereign land in Onamia, just behind Grand Casino Mille Lacs. The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe's business arm is heading the facility's construction and operation.