Red Lake Nation To Open Minnesota’s First Recreational Marijuana Dispensary August 1

Minnesota recently passed a bill that approved the sale and use of recreational marijuana across the state. On August 1, Minnesota is poised to become the 23rd state in the U.S. to legalize recreational marijuana.

While some aspects of the bill will instantly take effect on August 1, House bill sponsor DFL Rep. Zack Stephenson of Coon Rapids said at the time that he expected it to be at least 12 months to 18 months before walk-in, adult-use retail dispensaries are opened in Minnesota. That, however, is not the case and Minnesotans will be able to purchase recreational marijuana as soon as it's legal.

Because sovereign tribal nations can make their own decisions about when to begin sales, a medical cannabis dispensary located on the Red Lake Reservation has announced that it plans to be the first location to sell adult-use recreational cannabis.

KARE 11 shared a comment from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz regarding their announcement:

Throughout our time in office, Governor Walz and I have been committed to building strong government-to-government relationships with the eleven Tribal Nations within Minnesota. The law Governor Walz signed to legalize adult-use cannabis is one of the strongest in the nation in honoring the sovereignty of Tribal Nations like Red Lake Nation to make decisions on the sale of adult-use and medical cannabis.

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According to the new law, people 21 and older will be allowed to buy and transport 2 ounces of flower, 8 grams of THC concentrate, and 800 milligrams of edible product, including the lower-potency edibles that are already legal. Minnesotans will also be allowed to have up to two pounds of cannabis flower in their homes starting on Aug. 1. Adults can also grow up to eight plants, with no more than four being mature.

NativeCare is located at 24400 Highway 1 E, in Red Lake Minnesota.

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