The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe is the second tribe in Minnesota to sign a deal with the state allowing the tribe to conduct cannabis sales off reservation land, the Star Tribune reports.
The compact agreement, signed Wednesday by Chief Executive Virgil Winds and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), allows the Mille Lacs Band to open its own retail cannabis locations in the state and also sell its adult-use products to state-licensed cannabis retailers.
Eric Taubel, the director of the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), told the Tribune that the tribe has “invested heavily in the cannabis space” and is well-positioned to help supply the industry, which has yet to formally launch.
“I know they’ve been growing and stockpiling a lot of product and are looking actively toward engaging and partnering with the state licensees.” — Taubel, in the report
Cannabis products sold under the agreement will be subject to the same testing and labeling standards outlined under the state’s cannabis policy. The Mille Lacs Band will be allowed to open up to eight retail locations off tribal lands, with a maximum of one per city and three per county.
In May, the White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe signed a similar compact with the state.
Minnesota officials awarded the state’s first 249 cannabis business licenses in June.
