On October 20, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and the state’s Office of Cannabis Management announced that the Prairie Island Indian Community had entered into a cannabis compact with the state. The pact affirms the tribe’s right to oversee and conduct cannabis sales.
The agreement contains terms that enable tribes to collaborate with state-authorized dispensaries to market cannabis cultivated on tribal land. This development is particularly noteworthy as state-licensed dispensaries continue to face challenges meeting the demand for recreational cannabis.
The tribal government has shown intentions to broaden both its retail presence and wholesale cultivation operations within the state market.
In a statement released by 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 recreational cannabis market with the exceptional cannabis products we are producing.”
Situated roughly 40 miles southeast of the Twin Cities, the Prairie Island Indian Community’s agreement with the state mirrors previous arrangements made with other Minnesota tribal nations. Under the pact, the tribe is permitted to operate up to eight off-reservation dispensaries and is restricted to no more than 30,000 square feet of indoor cannabis cultivation outside its jurisdictional lands.
As part of the compact, the Prairie Island Indian Community has agreed to establish rules governing off-reservation cannabis sales that “meet or exceed” the state’s regulatory requirements.
The tribe’s cannabis commission will be charged with issuing licenses to nontribal dispensaries seeking to partner with the tribe. The commission will also supervise the tribe’s cannabis enterprises as they move into the state market, including the sale of products to state-authorized microbusinesses.
The agreement further details the cooperation between the state’s Office of Cannabis Management and the tribe’s cannabis commission, such as provisions for state audits of tribal cannabis operations. Ed Buck, chair of the commission, noted that the two entities met virtually during compact negotiations, and that officials from the Office of Cannabis Management recently visited the tribe’s cannabis facilities.
Buck also mentioned that the commission is developing a procedure to allow the Office of Cannabis Management to inspect cannabis products before they enter the state market.
“This milestone underscores our ongoing commitment to the people of Minnesota and Tribal Nations,” said OCM Executive Director Eric Taubel. “This compact provides state-licensed cannabis businesses the opportunity to partner with the Prairie Island Indian Community and boost product supply while maintaining the Tribe’s inherent sovereignty and right to self-govern.”
Discussions over additional cannabis compacts between the state and other tribal nations in Minnesota remain ongoing. In May, the state concluded a compact with the White Earth Nation, and last month it signed a similar agreement with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. The state anticipates announcing more tribal–state cannabis agreements in the near future.
- The news is soured from MPRnews
Post time: Oct-30-2025
