A new marijuana dispensary opening this week will be the closest to the Twin Cities

A new adult-use cannabis dispensary opens to the public Thursday. It’s called The Sweetest Grass, and it will now be the closest dispensary to the Twin Cities metro.

The Leech Lake News reports The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe’s dispensary had a soft opening on Monday for Leech Lake Band members. Customers must be 21 or older to enter the facility and purchase products. 

It’s 182 miles or a little more than 3 hours from downtown Minneapolis to Walker, just west of Leech Lake in Cass County.

The Red Lake Nation dispensary, NativeCare, in Red Lake is 249 miles from downtown Minneapolis while the White Earth dispensary, Waabigwan Mashkiki, in Mahnomen is 235 miles.

The Prairie Island Indian community plans to open a dispensary later this month, called Island Pezi, which would be closest to the Twin Cities: about 45 miles away or less than an hour’s drive. 

Minnesota legalized recreational marijuana sales last year, but the state’s system isn’t set to start until 2025. Sovereign nations create their own cannabis ordinances, which allows licensing and regulation within their own jurisdictions. 

Gov. Tim Walz signed legislation last month that speeds up the process for getting cannabis dispensaries lined up by giving them a route to pre-approval of operating licenses. In less than a year, the state expects a broader array of cannabis stores to be up and running.

MPR News contacted The Sweetest Grass and The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and a representative did not immediately return the call for comment.

MPR News editor Leah Lemm contributed to this report. 

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