Ojibwe man challenges Minnesota’s cannabis authority in ongoing court case

Todd Thompson, a White Earth Band of Ojibwe member, is appealing a felony marijuana possession charge after his Mahnomen head shop, Asema Tobacco & Pipe Shop, was raided by the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force the day after Minnesota legalized recreational cannabis in August 2023, according to the Minnesota Reformer. Agents seized marijuana, marijuana wax and cash, leading to a first-degree possession charge eight months later.

Thompson argues the state lacks jurisdiction under Public Law 280 and Minnesota’s 2023 cannabis law, which recognizes tribes’ sovereign right to regulate cannabis on reservations. A district judge rejected his motion to dismiss, but the Minnesota Court of Appeals has agreed to hear his case before trial, signaling its broader legal significance.