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EAST GRAND FORKS — White Earth Nation is expanding its cannabis business to the northern Red River Valley.
They will officially open a dispensary in East Grand Forks on Friday, May 1.
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The dispensary will be located at the old Burger King just outside downtown near the corner of Central Avenue and U.S. Highway 2.
City and tribal leaders cut the ribbon Tuesday, April 28, at Waabigwan Mashkiki, the tribe’s third store off the reservation.
“Another large market and being close to a college area and a rural area, as well,” said Zach Wilson, Waabigwan Mashkiki CEO.
White Earth opened the state’s first location off tribal land last year in Moorhead. There is also one in St. Cloud.
The new East Grand Forks location is nearly double the size of the Moorhead store. Tribe leaders would not disclose specific revenue numbers in Moorhead, but called them “overwhelmingly good.”
“We move anywhere from 150 to 200 pounds of flower a month out of that store,” Wilson said.
With the opening, East Grand Forks may soon have three cannabis operations in the city of about 9,100 people. City ordinance only allows two.
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“Just being first to market, just like any industry, being first to market is key,” said Wilson.
“Part of the tribal compact with the state says that White Earth does not need to abide by our local ordinance,” said Reid Huttunen, East Grand Forks city administrator.
Prior to White Earth buying the old Burger King, the city had already approved plans by two private owners for their cannabis operations. One is at the old Spud Jr., the other at the former Seasons Restaurant. It is unclear when they will open. The city has not received any indication either plan will back out.
“We felt obligated to honor that at this time. We did not know White Earth was going to come at the time we issued those. It feels right to honor that,” Huttunen said.
The dispensary will officially open to the public at 10 a.m. Friday, May 1.
Huttunen said if plans do fall through for one of the independently owned cannabis stores, the City Council may discuss reducing the city ordinance from two to one.
Grand Forks police have a warning for those who go to East Grand Forks to shop for cannabis.
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Marijuana is illegal to possess in North Dakota. It does not matter if it was bought legally in Minnesota, said Grand Forks Police Chief Jason Freedman.
The potential consequences vary, it all depends on how much and what someone is doing with it, he said. Grand Forks school resource officers have been having conversations with students, he said.
“(East Grand Forks dispensary) might make it more accessible, and there might be more people willing to use it try it, whether we see that or how much of a blip, I don’t expect a surge but I am not somebody who believes marijuana is harmless, especially in kids,” Freedman said.
Fargo police told WDAY they have not seen an influx in marijuana coming into the city since the Moorhead dispensary opened last year. Law enforcement agencies in the Moorhead area say they have not seen an uptick in marijuana-related issues.
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