The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians in Minnesota is planning to open a mobile dispensary, allowing them to bring cannabis to tribal lands across the state. Currently, the tribe operates one of the state’s only adult-use marijuana shops, with about 300 customers per day visiting their flagship location in Red Lake. By expanding their operation to a mobile dispensary, or cannabis food truck, the tribe hopes to serve more markets and make cannabis more accessible to consumers.
Tribal Secretary Samuel Strong expressed excitement about the potential for the mobile dispensary, noting that it would allow them to provide the same level of customer service while being more available to consumers. He also highlighted the positive interaction and building of bridges between the tribe and outsiders that cannabis has facilitated.
Minnesota’s cannabis landscape is unique because tribes have been allowed to open marijuana businesses before traditional retailers. While adults can now legally possess and cultivate marijuana in the state, the process of enacting regulations and licensing traditional retailers is expected to take at least another year. In the meantime, the mobile dispensary could help meet the demand from consumers who cannot travel to Red Falls, which is a 3-4 hour commute for most major cities.
The Red Lake Nation’s NativeCare retailer, which saw an overwhelming response on its opening day, is also planning to open two more shops in addition to the mobile service. In addition to the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, the White Earth Nation tribe has also launched an adult-use cannabis shop.
Minnesota’s legalization law created the Office of Cannabis Management, which will oversee the market, as well as the Cannabis Expungement Board to facilitate record sealing for people with eligible marijuana convictions. The state has already started soliciting vendors to help build a licensing system for recreational marijuana businesses.
With the expansion of cannabis businesses and the continuing development of regulations in Minnesota, the state’s cannabis industry is seeing significant growth. The introduction of a mobile dispensary by the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians is a unique approach that allows them to serve more customers and bring cannabis to various tribal lands throughout the state. This innovative model can help meet the demand for adult-use marijuana while traditional retailers are still being established.
