Indigenous Cannabis Policy and Law

Minnesota: Ishkode cannabis dispensary is now open at Vermilion

Published

1 day ago

March 8, 2025

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VERMILION RESERVATION— After months of clearing legal hurdles and playing the waiting game on a supplier and transporter of marijuana, the new Bois Forte cannabis dispensary, Ishkode, opened for business last Friday.

Spiritual advisor Vern Adams braved the frigid wind and snow as he stood outside on the deck prior to the ribbon cutting to smoke a ceremonial pipe, surrounded by others protecting the pipe from the wind.

Once inside, Adams offered a blessing to the spirits, followed by Bois Forte Acting Chair and District I Representative Shane Drift cutting the ceremonial ribbon to officially declare Ishkode open.

A line of more than a dozen customers waited patiently as their information was put into the dispensary computer system, and then milled about looking at and choosing merchandise, assisted by enthusiastic Ishkode employees.

“It’s finally happening, we are finally open,” Drift said as he looked around the shop. “It’s been a long process with all the hurdles that we had to jump through to get our dispensary open. It is a great day for our band members, it’s a great day for our band, it’s a great day for our future.”

To say that Bois Forte Development Corporation (BFDC) CEO Drew Ebert was thrilled would be an understatement.
It took countless hours of hard work under much pressure for Ebert, along with BFDC Innovation Manager Taneesha Dupree and Ishkode Retail Manager Paxton Goodsky, to get the business open.

“It’s really exciting for the team,” Ebert said. There were a lot of people collaborating, working hard on this. We had help on the corporate side and we had help with the government, and having this finally live is a beautiful thing. We were able to put this together from approval to today in under six months. A lot of the other dispensaries that we’ve seen, not just in this state, but in others, tended to take a lot longer. And we were also able to do it for a significantly lower price point, a third or more of what a lot of other dispensaries used.

The estimated 2,000-square-foot building has retail counter space where guests can purchase items such as real cannabis flower and pre-rolls and a variety of products, an office, and ample storage for products. There is also a seating area with a large flatscreen TV for customers to enjoy.
Ebert said a lot of thought and research went into creating the dispensary’s upscale motif.

“We pulled inspiration from the kind of casino mall setup that you see in Vegas,” Ebert said. “And what did that flow look like? What it said was luxury. We wanted it to be a place that is calm and welcoming, but at the same time a luxury experience because we want the look of our place to reflect the quality of our product.”
Ebert credited Goodsky for adding essential elements to the development of the dispensary.

“We needed someone with high charisma and knowledge of the industry, and after we went through all of our interviews Paxton was the obvious standout. He talked about expansion ideas specifically related to retail, which is what we were looking for. He was really able to complement a lot of the structure, organization, and legwork that we had completed.”
Important, too, Ebert said, was finding the right staff.

“We were really looking for heart,” he said, “because we can train them in some of the other aspects. But we wanted to make sure these people had passion for being here with us because that’s who we want on our team. I would say our ultimate technique has been relationship management with and amongst ourselves, helping each other and maximizing our potential by complementing each other so that we could make this beautiful product.”

Tribal Council Secretary Treasurer Tara Geshick also participated in the ribbon cutting and said that the blessing given by Adams will be an important part of the dispensary’s success.

Global Advocacy & Policy

Green Check Expands Financial Services Access to Cannabis Businesses Within Sovereign Nations

Published

5 months ago

September 25, 2024

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PRESS RELEASE

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, Green Check (GC), the leading fintech provider of financial service solutions and industry insights in the cannabis market, announced a new feature that enables access to banking services for licensed cannabis-related businesses (CRBs) operating within indigenous communities.

This update helps to address a crucial gap in financial services available for the growing number of CRBs on indigenous lands, which has increased by nearly 25 percent since January 2023. Historically, state-issued license requirements have created barriers for financial institutions in serving businesses licensed by sovereign nations.

CRBs with tribal licenses can now onboard seamlessly onto the Green Check platform, expanding access to banking for CRBs on sovereign land. It will include comprehensive regulatory rules in future updates, streamlining the onboarding process, and simplifying access to essential financial services for these businesses.

“While this is just the beginning of our efforts to enhance banking services for CRBs with sovereign nation licenses, we view it as a positive stride in the right direction,” said Stacy Litke, VP of Banking Programs at Green Check. “This new feature marks a crucial step toward inclusivity and pushes us toward our goal of democratizing business and financial services for the cannabis industry, as a whole.”

To support this expansion, Green Check enlisted the expertise of the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association (ICIA) whose mission is to create opportunities and equity for Indigenous people while empowering their communities through policy, programming and outreach.

“ICIA is honored to collaborate with Green Check to help transform banking solutions for CRBs that align with tribal governance rather than state regulations,” said Mary Jane Oatman, executive director of ICIA. “In a landscape where financial institutions often face unique regulatory challenges, it is important to provide tailored support that respects and upholds tribal sovereignty. We are not only facilitating the growth of tribal programs, but also navigating this intricate and often uncharted regulatory environment.”

“Green Check is paving the way for sustainable financial growth for all communities,” said Jay Wright, product marketing manager at Little Beach Harvest, a Shinnecock Nation cannabis dispensary located in Southampton Long Island. “With this expansion, Native Vision meets banking expertise.”

To learn more and to follow along for company news, visit greencheckverified.com.

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Global Advocacy & Policy

New Brunswick says it is unable to enforce its provincial cannabis laws on First Nations land, while other provinces take a different stance.

Published

11 months ago

April 2, 2024

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https://stratcann.com/news/new-brunswick-says-it-cant-enforce-its-cannabis-laws-on-first-nations-reserves/StratCann

The new comments come following proposed changes to the province’s Cannabis Act and stand in contrast to statements and actions taken by other provincial governments.

The province’s Public Safety Minister, Kris Austin, reportedly told media recently that there is nothing the province can do to enforce its provincial cannabis rules on businesses operating on First Nations reserves. She instead argues the issue is up to the federal government to enforce.

The comments from Austin came following the introduction of new legislation in New Brunswick meant to give officers from the Department of Justice and Public Safety (JPS) more power to deter illicit stores in the province.

The provincial government recently introduced Bill 29 , which will, if passed, create amendments to its Cannabis Control Act with the goal of increasing compliance with provincial rules, reducing the sale of illegal cannabis, and preventing young people from consuming the drug.

As reported by the Telegraph-Journal, Austin said: “you can’t seize property on First Nations reserves … unless you’re talking about a property that would be involved in violent crime.”

“Our understanding is when it comes to cannabis … that we’re not able to do that.”

The Telegraph-Journal went on to report that Austin made similar statements about jurisdiction in 2023, passing the buck to the federal government.