Breaking News: Come to the Capitol Tomorrow

From our allies at Blunt Strategies:

Wed., May 21 @ 4:20pm

MN State Capitol – Outside the Governor's Office

We need business owners and their teams, customers, and advocates from every corner of the state to be there.

Why: The proposal to increase the gross receipts tax on hemp and cannabis products by 50% is the latest assault on our industry by the Governor and lawmakers. But this is not just about defeating the tax proposal—it's about reminding them that we are an organized, engaged, statewide constituency.

One reason we've all been getting jerked around at the Capitol is that they haven't seen a visible grassroots show of force like they did in 2023 during legalization. That changes now. This protest is our chance to:

• Kill the tax increase

• Reclaim our presence in the Capitol

• Show unity across businesses, consumers, and advocates

• Make clear that we expect to be at the table—not on the menu

Who Should Come: YOU. Your employees. Your friends. Your family. Your customers. We are aiming for a very large turnout—and we need everyone's help to pull it off. Please:

• Show up in person

• Bring as many people as you can

• Spread the word to other business owners, community groups, and cannabis activists statewide

• Consider offering a small discount or promotion to customers who attend and show you proof (a protest selfie, etc.)

Signs: We'll provide protest signs—but feel free to bring your own (no poles allowed)

Social & Print Materials: Flyers and social media assets can be found here.

RSVP Form: We're asking everyone to fill out a quick RSVP form indicating how many others you think you can turnout to the protest so we can anticipate attendance and coordinate press visibility.

Questions or Coordination Needs: Contact Leili Fatehi at [email protected] or 914-844-1974

First Tribal Compact Announced

OCM announced this evening that, today, “Governor Tim Walz signed the first Tribal-state compact authorized under Minnesota’s 2023 cannabis law. The agreement outlines how the State of Minnesota and White Earth Nation will address jurisdictional issues related to the medical cannabis and adult-use cannabis industries and promote a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship regarding the legalization of cannabis. 

In establishing Minnesota’s cannabis law in 2023, the Legislature envisioned a robust, diverse marketplace and directed negotiations between the state and Tribal Nations to enter into intergovernmental agreements—cannabis compacts— to promote a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship between the state and Tribes that enhances public health and safety, ensures a lawful and well-regulated cannabis market, encourages economic development, and provides financial benefits to both the state and Tribal Nations (Minnesota Statutes, section 3.9228).   

Tribal-state cannabis compacts create a legal agreement between the state and Tribal Nation, establishing the terms and conditions to regulate the operation of Tribal cannabis businesses off Tribally regulated lands. Each compact with a Tribal Nation involves negotiation between the governor’s office, his designees, and the leadership and negotiating team appointed by each of the councils for Minnesota’s Tribal Nations. There will be similarities across all of the cannabis compacts with Tribal Nations, with distinctions based on a Tribal Nation’s particular priorities.  

Minnesota is taking a nation-leading approach to develop a robust marketplace that brings the opportunity for prosperity to social equity applicants, our Tribal partners and general applicants for a cannabis business license. 

More information about the compacting process—including copies of signed, executed cannabis compacts—can be found on the Office of Cannabis Management's Tribal Compacts website Tribal Compacts / Office of Cannabis Management. 

Jen’s take: I’m still digesting this but, main points are:

• This compact sets out the rules for how the tribes can operate off of tribal land, both in cannabis industry activity between the tribe and state-licensed businesses and sales to consumers by tribal businesses off of tribal land.

• This first compact is with the White Earth tribe, but we expect fairly similar compacts with the other tribes. (I think there are 10 tribes in total who have been negotiating with the state, or maybe 11.)

• When selling off of tribal land, the tribe has agreed to:

  • Product testing meeting OCM’s safety standards (which will be done by Minnesota’s existing medical cannabis testing facilities for now)

  • Seed-to-sale tracking (Metrc)

  • Packaging and labeling according to OCM rules

  • Pay all state and local taxes

• The tribe will be able to issue licenses for activity OFF of their tribal land, up to:

  • 8 retail licenses (each license = one retail location). Only 1 may be located in any given municipality and no more than 3 in any county.

    • Note from Jen: Local units of government may count tribally-owned locations in meeting the minimum required retail registrations.

  • 1 cultivation license (30K sq ft or 2 acres)

  • 1 manufacturing license

  • 1 transporter

  • 1 delivery

  • 1 wholesaler

Access the signed compact with White Earth here.