[MUSIC PLAYING] NINA MOINI: It’s our top story today. The first recreational cannabis dispensary off tribal land in Minnesota is expected to open as early as this weekend. White Earth Nation’s cannabis company, Waabigwan Mashkiki, will run the store in Moorhead. This comes after White Earth and the State signed an agreement earlier this week. It’s the first of its kind in the United States because it recognizes the authority of a tribal nation to regulate dispensaries off reservation land.
We wanted to understand how the deal fits into the wider scope of tribal cannabis agreements around the country, so joining me now is Mary Jane Oatman, executive director of the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association. She’s an enrolled member of the Nez Perce tribe and a descendant of the Delaware Tribe. Welcome to Minnesota Now, Mary Jane.
MARY JANE OATMAN: Thank you for having me. It’s quite an honor.
NINA MOINI: It’s an honor to talk to you. Would you start by explaining the work that you do and how you’ve been involved with discussions around tribal cannabis businesses in Minnesota?
MARY JANE OATMAN: Yes. I serve as the executive director of the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association, which was formed in 2022 to protect the rights and interests of tribes that were already engaged in regulating cannabis activity on their homelands, and just really finding strategies to where we could build toolkits for tribes to be able to navigate the very complex cannabis industry. And so I’ve just been on this educational journey. There’s a lot of work ahead of Indian Country, so organizing early was mission critical for ICIA.
NINA MOINI: And tribal nations can set their own rules around cannabis on their reservation. So would you describe in what situations these agreements with state governments are necessary?
MARY…
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PENNSYLVANIA STATE – Pennsylvania, a state synonymous with American history, liberty, and religious tolerance, owes its existence to the vision of one man: William Penn. An English Quaker, Penn founded the colony of Pennsylvania in 1681, transforming a vast tract of land in the New World into a haven for religious freedom and a bold experiment in self-governance.
