Governor Walz signs Tribal-state cannabis compact with the Lower Sioux Indian Community

St. Paul, Minn. – Today, Governor Tim Walz and the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced the signing of a new Tribal-state cannabis compact authorized under Minnesota Statutes, section 3.9228. The agreement provides a blueprint for a shared goal of safeguarding the health and well-being of all Minnesotans, supports sovereignty for the Lower Sioux Indian Community, and preserves their cultural independence.

“We’re excited to formalize this agreement between the state and the Lower Sioux Indian Community, and for the opportunities it will bring to Minnesotans and Tribal community members,” said Eric Taubel, executive director of the Office of Cannabis Management. “The state and Tribal leaders share a commitment to further build a mature cannabis industry that is safe, equitable and sustainable.”

In Minnesota’s cannabis law, the state Legislature directed the governor to negotiate intergovernmental cooperative agreements and cannabis compacts with Tribal Nations sharing territory with Minnesota to prioritize health and safety, ensuring consistency for consumers across Minnesota’s cannabis market.

“Today marks a meaningful step forward for the Lower Sioux Indian Community in the State of Minnesota,” says Joseph O’Brien, president of the Lower Sioux Indian Community Council. “This compact reflects the state of Minnesota’s growing respect for Tribal sovereignty and economic self‑determination. And we are excited for the opportunities it creates for our community – opportunities to support our people, strengthen our economy, and move forward in partnership with the state of Minnesota in a good way.”

While the specifics of each Tribal-state compact and agreement are unique to each Tribal Nation, each agreement contains the same commitments to safeguard consumer well-being through product testing, data gathering, and analysis, ensuring consistency for customers throughout Minnesota's cannabis market.

To date, the state has signed compacts or cooperative agreements with the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, the Prairie Island Indian Community, the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, and the White Earth Nation.

More information about the compacting process, including copies of signed, executed Tribal-state cannabis compacts, can be found on OCM’s Tribal Compacts and Cooperative Agreements webpage.

Following are links to download photos from the signing ceremony held today, with captions:

• Photo 1: Council President Joseph O’Brien and Governor Tim Walz at the signing of the cannabis compact between the state of Minnesota and the Lower Sioux Indian Community.

• Photo 2: Council President Joseph O’Brien and Governor Tim Walz shaking hands at the signing of the cannabis compact between the state of Minnesota and the Lower Sioux Indian Community.