Tribal cannabis operator enters mainstream Michigan marijuana market

Michigan marijuana regulators have struck their first tribal-state cannabis compact that will allow another Native tribe to enter the industry, officials said Friday.

The July 25 agreement between the state Cannabis Regulatory Agency and the Bay Mills Indian Community (BMIC) permits the tribe’s Northern Light Cannabis Co. to enter in same wholesale and distribution channels as other licensed marijuana businesses in the state, as per a news release.

Michigan has 12 federally recognized tribes, including several that have said they want to pursue similar compacts that will see tribal cannabis legally sold throughout the state.

In 2023, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed two bills that allow Native American tribes and the state to form compacts to regulate and tax marijuana.

The legislation also permits tribal- and state-licensed operators to sell cannabis to one another.

The compact allows BMIC to:

“This agreement reflects our shared commitment to safe, equitable and well-regulated cannabis commerce,” CRA Executive Director Brian Hanna said in a statement.

“Welcoming BMIC into the regulated framework sets a model for tribal-state cooperation in the cannabis industry, one that respects self-determination, promotes equity and opens the door for future partnerships grounded in mutual respect.”

Bay Mills opened an adult-use cannabis shop in the Upper Peninsula in 2020.

The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians joined Michigan’s recreational cannabis market in 2021 via a tribal ordinance.

Other tribes that have entered the state’s adult-use cannabis market include the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians.