On Monday, Governor Tim Walz and the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced a new cannabis cooperative agreement with the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians.
The agreement allows state-licensed cannabis businesses to partner with the Red Lake Band for product supply, aiming to protect public health and support Tribal sovereignty, according to the press release.
“This partnership opens a new outlet for state-licensed cannabis businesses to access and sell legal cannabis and honors the independence of the members of the Red Lake Band,” OCM Executive Director Eric Taubel said in the release. “We look forward to their cooperation in bringing more cannabis supply to the state and seeing their cannabis operations develop and thrive while respecting the Red Lake Band’s autonomy.”
The Red Lake Band’s NativeCare dispensary was the first in Minnesota to sell legal, adult-use cannabis after the law legalizing cannabis took effect in August 2023. The agreement enables the Red Lake Band to collaborate with state-licensed businesses, benefiting both the state and the Tribal Nation.
Darrell G. Seki, Sr., Chairman of the Red Lake Nation, said, “I am pleased to report that the Red Lake Nation has reached agreement with Governor Walz over the terms of our cannabis cooperative agreement. The Red Lake Nation is eager to share our top tier cannabis and cannabis products with the Minnesota market.”
“When state cannabis laws were loosened in 2023, the Red Lake Nation’s Native Care dispensary was the first dispensary to open in Minnesota. Over the past five years, we have been perfecting unique strains of cannabis in our premiere growing facilities at the Red Lake Nation,” Seki added. “Our goal from the beginning has been to produce the highest quality cannabis products that are free of all toxins and impurities. Consistent testing has verified that we have reached our goal. Now that our cooperative agreement with the state has been finalized, we are looking forward to sharing our top shelf products with the Minnesota market.”
The agreement includes commitments to product testing, data gathering and analysis to ensure consistency and safety for customers across Minnesota.
The state has also signed cannabis compacts with the White Earth Nation, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, the Prairie Island Indian Community, the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. Additional Tribal-state cannabis agreements are expected to be announced soon, according to the press release.
Copies of signed, executed Tribal-state cannabis compacts and cooperative agreements can be found on OCM’s website
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