A little over a year after Minnesota legalized recreational marijuana, hundreds of people gathered for the opening of one of the state’s first recreational marijuana retail outlet.
(Photo credit: Post Bulletin).
The Prairie Island Indian Community opened Island Peži today, with the outlet a variety of marijuana products including dried flower, pre-rolsl, vaporizers, and edible products. “Peži,” meaning grass in the Dakota language, is located at 6030 Sturgeon Lake Road, near Welch and Red Wing, adjacent to the Dakota Station convenience store and Treasure Island Resort & Casino.
By Saturday morning, a long line of people wrapped around the parking lot toward the casino. Some attendees sported T-shirts with slogans like “want to get high,” “welcome to marijuana country,” and “enjoy cannabis.” The store planned for 12 hours of operations, complemented by food trucks, music, and additional product sales outside.
“With the supply in Minnesota being super new, it’s challenging to find some partners, so for us being able to do tribal trade with White Earth is huge,” said Blake Johnson, president of CBH, Inc., a PIIC corporation overseeing the tribe’s cannabis-related economic interests. He added, “A long time ago, tribes used to trade back and forth, and we think it’s very awesome that we have the opportunity to go back to that.”
White Earth Nation, which opened Waabigwan Mashkiki in August 2023 in west-central Minnesota, supplies the flower products for Island Peži. The Red Lake Nation’s NativeCare was the state’s first recreational dispensary to open. Minnesota law allows tribal nations to regulate their own cannabis businesses.
While Island Peži operates under the tribe’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission, Johnson expressed gratitude to the businesses featured in the store, including Carpe Diem, Nebula, and Slay Beverage, emphasizing their focus on Indigenous, Black, and women-owned businesses. Johnson also noted that Dakota people view cannabis as a medicine.
On Friday, the store saw 580 customers, with a limit of 15 people allowed inside at a time.
