The complete unfairness of the White Earth Nation opening a cannabis dispensary in Moorhead, Minnesota.
With a doctorate in pharmacy, extensive training in cannabis, and having been a medical cannabis patient, I opened and operate a hemp-derived cannabinoid store on Highway 10 in Moorhead, Minnesota. I opened this store shortly after Minnesota legislators passed a law allowing people 21 and over to buy and consume food and beverages with a small amount of hemp-derived THC. The law requires that the food and beverages cannot contain more than 5 milligrams of hemp-derived THC per serving and no more than 50 milligrams per package. As you might recall hearing, there have been many nuances to operating this retail outlet.
First, legislators claimed to be “surprised” that they passed a law allowing these products. To them I ask, did you read the bill you were signing?
Second, townships, counties, cities and larger municipalities scrambled to begin regulation of these retail outlets. This “scramble” required that I find a new location for my store, as my first location did not meet the new “standards.”
Third, several individuals “hopped on this supposed gravy train (it is not)” and began selling wholly non-compliant products including products containing up to five times the legal limit. Did I sell those products? Absolutely not. I reported the misbehaving outlets to keep the marketplace reputable and compliant with Minnesota law.
I held firm in my understanding that once the State of Minnesota completed a regulatory framework for the sale of cannabis, I would have the opportunity to transition into a full cannabis dispensary. I comported with Moorhead city ordinance, Minnesota state law, and worked over two (2) years to operate a small business in my home community. I have counseled hundreds of individuals on the responsible use of cannabis. I opened my store with the goals of selling legal and quality lab tested products with compassion, knowledge, and professionalism.
Now, after nearly 2 ½ years and without ever having been contacted, the State of Minnesota is allowing the White Earth Nation to open a dispensary across the street from my business all but ensuring my business will close. I have tried to ask questions about how this can be, and I receive no answers. At one point, I was told that White Earth Nation would have to comport with the same rules and regulations as other retail outlets. This is simply not true. The Office of Cannabis Management has yet to award any licenses! A preapproval process for licenses was cancelled in November of 2024. The new application time period for a license opens on February 18, 2025, and closes on March 14, 2025. It is anticipated that licenses will be awarded in May or June of 2025 per the website of the Office of Cannabis Management. Yet, the White Earth Nation can open and sell cannabis in Moorhead beginning in March. They did not get a “head start.” They got to run the first half of this race by themselves. It is my understanding that the White Earth Nation purchased the dispensary location for over $800,000.00 and have spent the last year “renovating” the former restaurant into a dispensary in reliance on preferential treatment of an apparently guaranteed license. The rest of us have no guarantee of ever obtaining a license. Another small business bites the dust.

How is this fair?
Steven Rosenfeldt
Ediblez OTC