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 for medicinal and recreational uses by the end of the year. People will be able to use marijuana at a 15,000 square-foot lounge on the reservation. A cannabis development company working with the tribe promises strong security. "Flandreau is pretty good at security. They run a casino." Eric Hagen, the CEO of Monarch America, told Steve Young of The Sioux Falls Argus Leader. "So I invite anybody to walk into the casino, go grab a beer and try to walk out the door with it., or try to go steal some chips off a blackjack table. It's not going to happen. They're very good at security." Those assurances, however, haven't stopped Attorney General Marty Jackley from warning non-Indians not to use the drug on the reservation. He insists only members of federally recognized tribes can ingest marijuana in Indian Country. The Department of Justice opened the door to legal marijuana in Indian Country with the 2014 Wilkinson memo. Get the Story:
Steve Young: Flandreau's challenge is keeping track of its marijuana (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 7/9)
Santee Sioux Tribe’s Wacipi (The Moody County Enterprise 7/7) Relevant Documents:
Department of Justice Policy Statement Regarding Marijuana Issues in Indian Country (October 2014)
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