Tribes tap hemp loophole to launch THC businesses

The Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Indians opened Little Pines cannabis dispensary in July on tribal lands in northern Wisconsin, selling THC-infused hemp products. According to ICT, tribal regulatory authority allows the sale despite state laws banning medical and recreational marijuana.

Candace Thompson, a citizen of the Lac du Flambeau Band and director of retail and cultivation at Little Pines, said tribal licensing enables the store to operate legally. The 2018 Farm Bill approves the domestic production of hemp for material and food products. Manufacturers can enhance the percentage of THC from harvested hemp. “That’s the legal loophole,” Thompson told ICT. Rob Pero of the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association called Little Pines the first free-standing tribal business of its kind in Wisconsin.