Hundreds visit Red Lake dispensary on first day of recreational marijuana sales

By Daltyn Lofstrom

RED LAKE, Minn. — Tuesday marked a historic occasion for the Red Lake Nation and the state of Minnesota as people from near and far visited Red Lake’s NativeCare dispensary for the first day of recreational marijuana sales in the state.

As the first dispensary to open up shop in the entire state, several hundred eager patrons waited in line for a chance to step inside NativeCare once 11 a.m. rolled around.

Foot traffic inside the dispensary was limited to a few people at a time while everyone else waited outside. While initially met with blue skies, a torrential downpour dampened the day by the afternoon.

However, the rain did not extinguish the excitement, as hardly anybody stepped out of line and instead held tarps above their heads, determined to keep their hard-earned spots.

“I was handing out tar paper, trash bags, rain suits, anything we had available,” Red Lake Tribal Secretary Sam Strong said after the rain subsided, “but nobody moved. We had a canopy to stand under, and they didn’t care.”

As the skies cleared up and the afternoon went on, more customers took their pick from NativeCare’s selection of cannabis flower, pre-rolls and accessories.

As each patron stepped out from the building with their purchase, their presence would be met with a round of cheering and applause from those waiting anxiously in line.

An occasional car horn could be heard along Highway 1 driving past the dispensary as a means of support for what was taking place in the humble community of Red Lake.

Noting an exceptional turnout, Strong emphasized the support that adult-use recreational cannabis has had both within tribal boundaries and outside the Red Lake Nation.

According to Strong, 2,270 tribal members signed a petition in support of the council authorizing legal recreational marijuana use. This comes after an 80% referendum vote to legalize medical marijuana in 2020, after which NativeCare was established in 2021 to sell products to those with certain medical conditions.

Accordingly, the council amended its tribal code on July 11 to legalize recreational sales.

“There’s a lot of community support. It’s also a great economic-development venture to be the first (dispensary in the state),” Strong said. “As leaders in sovereignty, we’re trying to continue that and utilize our sovereignty to take advantage of this business opportunity.”

Strong said some sales will contribute to substance abuse prevention programs and will aid Red Lake in its ongoing battle against the opioid epidemic.

With NativeCare opening up to everyone ages 21 and older, Red Lake Nation members and non-members alike are protected by tribal laws while on tribal land and are protected by state laws once they leave the Red Lake Nation.

While Gov. Tim Walz signed legalized recreational marijuana into law in May — to take effect Aug. 1 — the rest of Minnesota isn’t expected to open additional retail locations until around Jan. 1, 2025, pending the creation of a dispensary licensing system by the newly formed Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management.

In addition to legal sales, the bill also directs the expungement or resentencing of cannabis-related convictions; a 10% tax on recreational cannabis; and grants for cannabis growers, substance use programs and communities adversely affected by cannabis prohibition.

As a sovereign nation, Red Lake has control over marijuana regulations on its land.

“At the present time, only the wholly-owned Red Lake tribal entity that was established for the purpose of growing, processing and selling cannabis and cannabis products will be permitted to grow and sell such products,” a statement from the tribal council said.

“All cannabis and cannabis products that are grown, processed and sold through the NativeCare Dispensary are subjected to inspection and testing standards that are at least as stringent as the testing and regulatory requirements that are in place in jurisdictions with established cannabis programs.”

NativeCare’s website states that its products are produced on tribal land, and traditional imagery can be seen on its packaging.

Moving into the future, plans to open more dispensaries in cooperation with other tribal entities are on the table. As these plans turn into action, Strong hopes to strengthen existing relationships between Red Lake Nation members and non-members through the support of NativeCare’s revolutionary opening.

“We want people to have a good experience and develop a good relationship that we can build off into the future,” Strong said. “This is very significant. It’s monumental.”

More information on NativeCare can be found at nativecare.com.

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