Minnesota
New adult-use cannabis dispensary opens in Minnesota, closest to Twin Cities
The closest legal cannabis dispensary to the Twin Cities is opening for business Thursday on a reservation in Cass County. The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe passed a resolution in August 2023 that allowed for adult-use recreational cannabis sales throughout the boundaries of the reservation.
“We assigned a task force and then a commission was established, and bylaws were created,” said Michael Michaud, chairperson for the board of the Leech Lake cannabis company. “Once that was complete, the board of directors were interviewed and selected for the Leech Lake cannabis company.”
Michaud said they were able to get the cannabis dispensary open within 60 days of the first board of directors meeting.
It’s 182 miles or a little more than 3 hours from downtown Minneapolis to the dispensary in Walker, just west of Leech Lake in Cass County.
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“It’s at the intersection of [interstates] 371 and 200, which is a major thoroughfare for a lot of people that come up north,” Michaud said. “We anticipate that with all the summer traffic that will be coming up through that corridor, we’ll be extremely busy throughout the summer.”
The Red Lake Nation dispensary, NativeCare, in Red Lake is 249 miles from downtown Minneapolis while the White Earth dispensary, Waabigwan Mashkiki, in Mahnomen is 235 miles.
The Prairie Island Indian Community plans to open a dispensary later this month, called Island Pezi, which would be closest to the Twin Cities: about 45 miles away or less than an hour’s drive.
Minnesota legalized recreational marijuana sales last year, but the state’s system isn’t set to start until 2025. Sovereign nations create their own cannabis ordinances, which allows licensing and regulation within their own jurisdictions.
Budtender Nick Bacca waits on a customer inside The Sweetest Grass, a new dispensary on the Leech Lake reservation near Walker.
Melissa Olson | MPR News
Michaud says the tribe’s goal is to create more entrepreneurial opportunities for band members to open up their own dispensaries in the future. I’m Clay Masters.
“The end goal for the tribe through the resolution is to have individual entrepreneurship for individual band members to open up their own dispensaries and grow operations,” Michaud said.
See how the bald eagle’s story shows its enduring symbolism
As the U.S. celebrates 250 years, the bald eagle endures as North America’s native sea eagle and national bird.
The common loon, Minnesota’s state bird, is more closely related to a penguin than a duck.
Despite loons predominantly living in the northern hemisphere and penguins mostly living in the southern hemisphere, researchers consider them to be genetic cousins. Taxonomic analyses placed them in an evolutionary cluster tracing back 40 million to 50 million years ago, along with herons and pelicans.
While loons and ducks share habitat on Minnesota lakes, they aren’t close relatives. Ducks are closer cousins to geese and swans.
After sharing a common ancestor, penguins and loons developed distinct characteristics. Loons can fly, but struggle to move on land; penguins can’t fly, but waddle on land. Penguins use flipper-like wings to swim; loons use webbed feet for underwater propulsion.
They have some similar features, however, including dense bones to help dive underwater and their tuxedo coloring.
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Fires in the past burned more frequently in western Canada, but recent years have seen that trend migrate eastward, with large fires now burning in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic provinces, Prof Chasmer said, leading to more noticeable smoke in densely populated cities like Toronto and New York.
Minnesota United, the Liberia Lone Star National Football Team and SARX today announced that the international friendly against the Liberia National Team, scheduled for July 26, 2026, has been canceled.
While we were looking forward to welcoming the Liberia National Team and celebrating the strong ties between Minnesota’s Liberian community and our club, circumstances outside of our control have made it necessary to cancel the match. We appreciate the understanding of our supporters and wish the Liberia National Team all the best.
Fans who purchased tickets to the match will be refunded within approximately 3-10 business days.
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