Pending agreements between Gov. Tim Walz and ten of Minnesota’s 11 tribal nations are close to being finalized. They would give a share of the new cannabis industry to tribal nations and businesses they license both on and off reservation land, including in urban areas, according to new reporting from MinnPost.
Minnesota’s 2023 cannabis law authorized Walz to negotiate contracts between the state and tribal nations. Under the agreements, cannabis businesses licensed by tribes would be exempt from rules facing non-tribal businesses that prevent them from having retail, cultivation and manufacturing under one company.
The closed-door negotiations have been ongoing since last spring. MinnPost reporter Peter Callaghan has been watching them closely. He joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the draft compact language he obtained Tuesday.
