The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe hosts its annual wacipi, or powwow, from July 17-19. Photo from Facebook

The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe of South Dakota plans to sell marijuana by January 1, 2016, the Associated Press reports.

The tribal council voted 5-1 last week to legalize the drug for commercial, recreational and medicinal use. Marijuana will be grown at a dedicated facility located on the reservation.

The drug will then be sold and consumed at separate facility on the reservation. The tribe plans to welcome all people -- Indians and non-Indians -- to the operation.

“As with any business we hope to get plenty of patrons to make it a successful operation,“ President Anthony Reider told US News and World Report. “We would definitely welcome expansion if need be.”

But South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley said any non-Indians who consume marijuana on the reservation will be in violation of state law. He asked the tribe to work with the state to address law enforcement, safety and other issues.

'I want to encourage tribal leaders to continue to work with state authorities to better ensure our respective laws are followed, public safety on our roads remains a consideration, and that both Indian and non-Indian persons are not put in harm’s way by the jurisdiction complexities being created by our federal government,” Jackley said in a press release.

The tribe is the first in South Dakota to legalize the drug and adopt a comprehensive set of laws and policies to address its sale and use. Elsewhere in the state, drug laws remain extremely strict.

The Department of Justice opened the door to legal marijuana in Indian Country with the 2014 Wilkinson memo. So far, only one tribe in California has started growing the drug and local authorities plan to assert jurisdiction if they believe the operation violates local laws.

Get the Story:
Tribe to begin selling recreational pot by Jan. 1 (AP 6/17)
Law enforcement worried about legalized marijuana on reservation (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 6/17)
6 things about tribal marijuana legalization (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 6/16)
Tribe Bets on Legal Pot (US News and World Report 6/16)

Relevant Documents:
Department of Justice Policy Statement Regarding Marijuana Issues in Indian Country (October 2014)

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