Cannabis

Plus: Gov. Tim Walz has now signed four cannabis compacts with tribal nations, the latest being the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa; and the girls' state tennis tournament wrapped up with a few Northland consolation champions.

The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is the fourth tribal nation to sign the intergovernmental contract that allows tribal cannabis businesses to operate off tribally regulated land.

After a lengthy public hearing and discussion, the City Council adopted its amended cannabis ordinance 4-1 to allow a business to move into the former Anderson Fabrics plant.

The state’s Office of Cannabis Management offers guidance on the laws but has no legal authority to compel cities or counties into compliance. This leaves it up to individuals to challenge local ordinances in court.

The Blackduck City Council hosted the first of two public hearings amending its cannabis ordinance after a cultivator expressed interest in the former Shade Store manufacturing plant.

The Council heard a proposal to bring in the industry and 150 jobs after the Shade Store closed manufacturing operations in 2025. But the cannabis ordinance would need changes.

Plus: Crow Wing County is hosting a meeting on its long-range transportation plan, and Second Harvest Northland's BackPack Program will continue serving northeastern Minnesota students through the 2025-26 school year.

The agency announced $3.6 million in funding to help businesses enter and expand into the cannabis industry and provide workforce training grants for cannabis jobs.

M.N. Technology was planning a cultivation facility for Cohasset and did not win a license in last week's lottery. But they had contingency plans.

The off-reservation dispensary opened in Moorhead on May 23, 2025, with another planned for St. Cloud after a first-of-its-kind compact between White Earth and Minnesota.