Last verified: April 2026
The First Sale
On August 1, 2023 — the day HF 100 took effect — Red Lake tribal employee Charles Goodwin made the state’s first legal recreational cannabis purchase: "Nudder Budder" and "Caramel Creme" strains, at NativeCare in Red Lake. Over 100 people lined up on opening day.
The original NativeCare location: 24400 Highway 1 East, on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota.
Red Lake Nation
The Red Lake Nation is a federally recognized tribe with a sovereign reservation in northern Minnesota. The reservation is unique: it is a "closed" reservation where alcohol is prohibited and where tribal sovereignty has historically been more strictly enforced than at most other Minnesota tribes.
Despite the alcohol prohibition, Red Lake has operated a medical marijuana program since 2020, predating Minnesota’s statewide medical program by years. This existing infrastructure positioned Red Lake to launch recreational sales the moment HF 100 took effect.
Red Lake Nation Cannabis Corporation
CEO Kari Taylor leads the Red Lake Nation Cannabis Corporation, which:
- Employs approximately 24 people
- Reinvests revenue in education, health, and reservation infrastructure
- Operates NativeCare and the mobile dispensary at Seven Clans Casino in Thief River Falls (added September 2023)
- Negotiated the off-reservation compact with the governor on December 15, 2025
NativeCare West St. Paul (March 20, 2026)
Most significantly for Twin Cities residents, NativeCare opened at 2067 South Robert Street in West St. Paul on March 20, 2026, bringing tribal cannabis directly into the metro. The storefront features a mural by Red Lake member and indigenous designer Lucie Skjefte.
For metro consumers, NativeCare West St. Paul means:
- Direct access to Red Lake’s cannabis products without a 5-hour drive north
- Tribal-product variety (including the original strains that made the August 2023 first sale)
- Cultural recognition: shopping there contributes to the Red Lake Nation’s reservation infrastructure
- Off-reservation tribal dispensaries operate under tribal-state compacts and meet state testing/packaging/labeling standards
The Compact (December 15, 2025)
Red Lake Nation signed an off-reservation cannabis compact with Governor Walz on December 15, 2025. The compact authorized off-reservation retail expansion under tribal-state terms. NativeCare West St. Paul (March 2026) was the first off-reservation Red Lake location.
Buying at NativeCare
NativeCare follows largely standard dispensary procedures:
- ID check at the door (21+, valid government photo ID; non-tribal members welcome)
- Cash or debit only (federal banking restrictions)
- State possession limits apply (off-reservation, under the tribal-state compact): 2 oz public / 8 g concentrate / 800 mg THC edibles
- State testing standards apply for off-reservation sold products
Cultural Significance
The August 1, 2023 first sale at the original NativeCare location is a recognized milestone in Minnesota cannabis history. For Red Lake Nation, the cannabis enterprise is part of a broader sovereignty exercise — the same legal framework that supports tribal gaming, tribal health systems, and tribal education funding now supports tribal cannabis.
The mural by Lucie Skjefte at the West St. Paul location explicitly centers Red Lake Nation identity in the metro’s cannabis landscape. Visitors should approach the dispensary with respect for that cultural framing — this is not a "novelty" dispensary, it’s an exercise of sovereign tribal commerce.
Other Red Lake Locations
- NativeCare original — 24400 Highway 1 East, on the Red Lake Indian Reservation
- Mobile dispensary at Seven Clans Casino in Thief River Falls (September 2023)
- NativeCare West St. Paul — 2067 South Robert Street (March 2026)
Additional off-reservation locations may open as Red Lake expands under the December 2025 compact terms.
For in-depth cannabis education, dosing guides, safety information, and research summaries, visit our partner site TryCannabis.org
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