Red Lake Nation readies for recreational marijuana sales, the first in Minnesota
RED LAKE, Minn. – On Tuesday, Minnesotans can lawfully have up to 2 pounds of marijuana in their home and grow it with limits. But one of the only places a person can legally buy that same day is more than four hours north on the Red Lake Reservation.
Because of its sovereignty, the Red Lake Nation doesn't have to wait for state rules and regulations, which will fall under a new state Office of Cannabis Management that is in its infancy.
It will likely be more than a year before retail sales begin in the Twin Cities and elsewhere as officials work to get the agency up and running. State officials estimate Minnesotans won't be able to buy legal weed until the first quarter of 2025.
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Red Lake Nation Tribal Secretary Samuel Strong said the lag time presents a unique opportunity for the tribe to cash in on cannabis before anyone else, getting a slice of what could be a $1.5 billion industry in the next few years, according to one estimate.
It's why the council approved cannabis for recreational use. There's been a medical program for a few months and now the dispensary on the reservation, NativeCare, will expand. All of the products sold are cultivated and manufactured on the Red Lake Nation.
"In between [legalization in Minnesota] and when the dispensaries will open, we wanted to take advantage of that period to maximize the business opportunity here for the reservation," Strong said.
He explained it as phase one of vision. He and other leaders want to open more dispensaries on land Red Lake Nation has jurisdiction over in Thief River Falls and Warroad, and eventually to enter a compact with the state to operate businesses in cities like Minneapolis. The new law creates an avenue to do this.
As members grapple with the opioid epidemic, which contributed to a record number of drug overdose deaths in 2021 in Minnesota, Strong hopes that cannabis will be an alternative to the highly-addictive drug and generate revenue for prevention and treatment centers.
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The move, he believes, is a boon for business, but also an opportunity to build relationships with Minnesotans who plan to come to the reservation to visit the dispensary.
"I think oftentimes there's negative perceptions about the reservation, and we want to debunk those," Strong said. "We want to create a good collaborative relationship with all Minnesotans, and we hope that the people who come here share that same mentality."
The grand opening for recreational sales at NativeCare is set for 11 a.m. Tuesday. Customers need to bring an ID -- the legal age to purchase and use is 21 years and older, which aligns with state law -- and cash.
Because of federal prohibition, cannabis businesses run into banking and payment processing roadblocks, so they largely operate with cash. Mastercard recently said it won't allow customers to use its debit cards for marijuana transactions.
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