Red Lake Nation In Minnesota Approves Medical Cannabis Reforms

Minnesota’s Red Lake Nation on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a medical cannabis program that goes beyond the state’s program parameters and allowing flower, Red Lake Nation Newsreports. The measure passed 1,765 to 425, or 80 percent approval.

Cannabis advocate Kevin Jones, who also organized the Chippewa Cannabis Party, said the tribe would also have about 20 more qualifying conditions than the state program and that the tribal program will allow program access for opioid addiction.

“I hope it helps the opioid crisis, we got hit hard with that. I hope that changes a lot of it and helps families bring parents, aunties and uncles back to where they were before. It won’t bring the ones we lost back but will make a new path for the ones on that journey today.” – Jones to the Red Lake Nation News

Jones noted in an interview with the Duluth Reader that when Minnesota launched its medical cannabis program, they didn’t include tribes in the reforms. Jones said the vote sets the stage for the tribe to go “full recreational” despite Minnesota laws and that the tribe would exercise its sovereignty on the issue.