The Santee Sioux Native American tribe has announced plans to open a first-in-the-nation marijuana resort on December 31 of this year.
Santee Sioux tribal lands are located within South Dakota’s borders, where pot is illegal; however, last June, following a recent Department of Justice policy announcement recognizing the fact that sovereign tribes have the authority to set their own rules on marijuana, Santee Sioux officials voted to legalize recreational use.
According to The Associated Press, the planned resort will be located in the Flandreau Indian Reservation along the Big Sioux River. It will feature an arcade, an outdoor concert venue, a bar, a nightclub, food service, and slot machines. Tribal leaders expect that the facility will bring in up to $2 million per month in profits, which will reportedly be used to fund tribal services and income stipends for members of the tribe.
Since marijuana is illegal in South Dakota, marijuana use on the reservation will be strictly regulated. Though attendees will be allowed to publicly smoke at the resort, they will be banned from taking pot off the reservation or purchasing more than 1 gram at a time. The resort will reportedly offer marijuana for $12.50 to $15 per gram.
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“We want it to be an adult playground. There’s nowhere else in America that has something like this,” said Santee Sioux President Anthony Reider.
Colorado pot consulting company Monarch America has been tapped to advise the Santee Sioux tribe on running a safe marijuana grow operation in preparation for an October open house for South Dakota legislators.
“This is not a fly-by-night operation. [Tribal leaders] want to show the state how clean, how efficient, how proficient, safe and secure this is as an operation. We are not looking to do anything shady,” said Monarch America vice president Jonathan Hunt.
The resort is set to open at a New Year’s Eve party on December 31 of this year.
In September of last year, Ben Swann released an expose on the federal government’s mixed messages on marijuana. Watch it in the below-embedded video player.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuX9y0hiqWE