LAC DU FLAMBEAU, Wisc. (WJFW)—A local tribe’s business development corporation opened a cannabis dispensary.
Little Pines Dispensary opened in early July, selling Wisconsin made products, operating under a legal loophole.
The tribally owned store sells CBD products like drinks, tinctures, topicals, and edibles from seven different Wisconsin based vendors.
“CBD has been shown to have health benefits as far as pain and sleep and PTSD and stress.” Director of Cultivation and Retail Operations, Candace Thompson said.
However, that’s not the only benefit to Lac Du Flambeau having a dispensary.
“If you buy here, it stays within the community,” said Thompson. “We are tribally owned so it contributes to the general fund.”
The tribe expects a profit of around $3 million by year seven of Little Pines’s operation.
“If the state or a tribe submits a plan to the USDA, we are allowed to regulate ourselves which is what we have done.” Said Thompson.
So how is Little Pines legally able to sell?
THC is the psychoactive component in the cannabis plant—the chemical that makes people feel high. While CBD is the non-psychoactive ingredient associated with pain relief and relaxation.
Due to a legal loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp containing no more than .3% THC is a legally controlled substance.
“The state isn’t legal yet,” said Thompson. “So, we have to abide by the .3%. CBD is under the .3% of THC in the plant so that’s how we’re able to do this.”
Other tribes in Wisconsin such as the Menominee and ho-chunk have decriminalized cannabis on their respective tribal lands, due to tribal sovereignty
The Lac Du Flambeau tribe considered doing the same but since Wisconsin is under the jurisdiction of Public Law 280, they’ve decided to wait for the state to determine legalization of marijuana.
Public Law 280 grants certain states criminal jurisdiction over reservations.
Little Pines is licensed by the Lac Du Flambeau Regulation Agency, as well as approved by the USDA through the Tribal Hemp Program.
Little Pines is open Monday through Saturday from 12 to 6 PM.
No one under the age of 21 is allowed in the building.
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