White Earth Nation will vote on therapeutic cannabis

In May the Red Lake Nation in occupied Minnesota voted to legalize therapeutic cannabis expanding the list of qualifying symptoms for tribal patients seeking treatment in the first application of cannabis flower in the state. On August 18, the White Earth tribe will vote to legalize for some patients and according to activist, Winona LaDuke hopes are high that voters will embrace the Oklahoma model, home to the loosest therapeutic cannabis rules in America.

According to a report released last year by the Minnesota Department of Health over 70 percent of survey respondents said therapeutic cannabis was helping to ease their post-traumatic stress and most showed “clinically meaningful” reductions in the severity of their symptoms. Also last year Minnesota-based Vireo Health expanded into New Mexico's therapeutic cannabis market where the number of enrollees is nearing 100,000 patients. Researchers at the University of New Mexico have learned cannabis is an effective treatment for depression. 

In my home state of South Dakota the law enforcement industry is worried cannabis reform will lead to less revenue for police departments. Policing for Profit has allowed the Division of Criminal Investigation to provide military armaments for the industry throughout South Dakota where most believe prostitution will be legal before cannabis laws are amended. 

Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) has introduced the Substance Regulation and Safety Act of 2020 in the US Senate but Republicans in Minnesota's legislature continue to block legal cannabis for all adults denying the state needed revenue and leaving a thriving black market in place to enrich police unions.

Oklahoma has as close to free market capitalism for medical marijuana as can be imagined. There are no restrictions on the number of permits to be issued, nor zoning restrictions. There are over 200,000 patients --more per capita than any other state -- and so far, licenses were issued for 2,168 dispensaries, 1,415 processors and 4,931 growers. The industry started in 2018, and in 2020 it’s already worth about $350 million. That’s real money, spread across a lot of businesses and a lot of patients. By comparison, Minnesota’s medical marijuana business is controlled by just two corporations: Minnesota Medical Solutions and Leafline Labs, associated with the Bachman Nursery’s business. Both are Twin Cities-based. Vireo Health LLC is the parent company of Minnesota Medical Solutions Company and is headed by Dr. Kyle Kinsley, a former ER doctor from Shakopee. [LaDuke, posted at INFORUM]