Inside the marijuana grow facility on the Flandreau Santee Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. Photo by Dana Ferguson / Sioux Falls Argus Leader / Twitter

The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe of South Dakota plans to put revenues from its marijuana operation to good use.

President Tony Reider said the tribe's current budget only covers about 55 percent of the needs in the community, Courthouse News Service reported. But the sale of the drug could generate millions of dollars for health, housing and other programs on the reservation.

"Growing up, I learned marijuana was dangerous, deadly and illegal. I thought marijuana was the devil's medicine," Reider told Courthouse News. "But after educating myself, I learned that no deaths have ever been directly linked to marijuana. And compared to alcohol, it makes people peaceful, not aggressive."

The tribe is converting the Royal River Family Entertainment Center on the reservation into a 10,000 square-foot marijuana and entertainment lounge. The facility will open on December 31 and is considered to be the first of its kind in Indian Country and in the U.S.

The tribal council voted 5 to 1 in June to legalize marijuana on the reservation. The council also adopted comprehensive set of laws and policies to address the sale and use of the drug.

Marijuana otherwise remains illegal under federal law. But the Department of Justice opened the door to legal marijuana in Indian Country with the 2014 Wilkinson memo.

Despite the shifts in policy, Attorney General Marty Jackley, is warning non-Indians that they can still be prosecuted for buying or consuming marijuana on the reservation. Gov. Dennis Daugaard (R) also opposes the operation, Courthouse News reported.

Get the Story:
Governor Hates It, but Sioux See Bonanza in Pot Smoking Lounge (Courthouse News Service 10/19)
Lawmakers, media tour marijuana facility (The Moody County Enterprise 10/20)

Relevant Documents:
Department of Justice Policy Statement Regarding Marijuana Issues in Indian Country (October 2014)

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