The Prairie Island Indian Community (PIIC) has launched a new business venture, Island Peži (pay-zhee, meaning grass), a Native Cannabis Company. Subject to obtaining all necessary Tribal licensure and approval, Island Peži will open a dispensary in Summer 2024 to serve the recently legalized adult-use recreational cannabis market.
Island Peži’s anticipated entry into the cannabis industry will create another avenue of economic diversification for PIIC and develop opportunities for the Tribe’s members for generations to come.
As a sovereign nation, PIIC has enacted its own Cannabis Regulatory Ordinance, which authorizes a comprehensive licensing and regulatory system to regulate cannabis within its jurisdiction. The Tribe is committed to the highest standards of operation through its Cannabis Regulatory Commission. It is similar to the function of the State’s licensing and regulatory system for the broader Minnesota market, which is slated to open in early 2025.
Island Peži is set to open next to Dakota Station, the Tribe’s convenience store and gas station on Prairie Island. The Tribe is excited by the prospects of the cannabis industry for Indian Country and specifically what it will mean for Prairie Island.
“Island Peži is a step forward in our efforts to diversify our economy and strengthen our Tribe’s long-term financial sovereignty,” said Prairie Island Tribal Council President Grant Johnson. “We’re excited to be among the first to enter the cannabis market and create new opportunities for the future of our Tribe.”
NOW HIRING
The dispensary will be seeking applicants for roles including HR manager, general manager, and dispensary staff ahead of its opening; applicants are encouraged to visit HERE to apply.
About Island Peži:
Island Peži is an adult-use recreational cannabis company, with a dispensary anticipated to open in Summer 2024. It is owned and operated by CBH, Inc., a Prairie Island Indian Community corporation created to manage its cannabis-related economic development interests. The Tribe’s newly formed Cannabis Regulatory Commission will regulate cannabis business activity within Prairie Island’s jurisdiction.
