MOORHEAD – The White Earth Nation is working toward an agreement to open an adult-use cannabis dispensary in the former JL Beers restaurant building on Moorhead’s east side.
The tribe is remodeling the structure in anticipation of reaching a compact with the state of Minnesota to operate cannabis dispensaries off the reservation.
The tribe finalized its purchase of the building at 2902 U.S. Highway 10 in May,
Zach Wilson, the CEO of the White Earth Nation’s cannabis operation, Waabigwan Mashkiki , said Minnesota’s 11 tribal nations are negotiating compacts with the state and he expects approvals will come case by case.
“The sooner the better. If we can get the state to get our compacts finalized, I would say it’s (the opening timeline) probably going to be very similar to the same timeline as social equity applicants being awarded” licenses.
No decision has been made yet, Wilson said Tuesday, Aug. 27.
“We’re really similar to the rest of the state as far as we are very confident in that we’re going to be awarded a license for a dispensary off the reservation,” Wilson said.
The work in Moorhead is “just making sure that if everything goes as we hope, that we’re poised to pull the trigger fast,” he said.
“I would love to say that we could be open by the end of the year, right? That would be a goal of mine. But what I can wish for and what I can control are two different things,” Wilson said.
In Minnesota, applications for social equity cannabis business licenses closed in mid August. After verification of social equity status, more than 1,800 applicants are seeking license pre-approval for 282 available licenses, to be granted to veterans, new farmers, and those living in areas with high poverty levels, or formerly convicted of using or selling marijuana. License winners are expected to be selected by lottery later this year.
In the meantime, the approval process for off-reservation dispensaries is moving along, Wilson said.
“I think there’s a lot of good communication back and forth between the tribes and the state,” Wilson said.
The White Earth Nation opened its adult-use marijuana dispensary in August 2023 in Mahnomen, Minnesota. The dispensary is across from Shooting Star Casino, Wilson said.
Another adult-use dispensary in Minnesota is operated by the Red Lake Nation. NativeCare is in Red Lake.
The White Earth Nation bought and repurposed a chip factory for indoor marijuana production, and it has greenhouses and about 10 acres of land under cultivation for cannabis. “So, right now we have a very large footprint. We’ve got a lot of great products and flower coming to the market,” Wilson said.
Anything the tribe sells off the reservation will have to meet state regulations, Wilson said. He said the tribal cannabis regulatory commission “is very stringent on what we do, just as much, if not more, than the state.”
