Thanks to Mississippi Valley Montessori School for their support. Located in West St. Paul since 1967, they’re an AMI-accredited Montessori school serving children up to age 6. Email us for more info.
NativeCare Cannabis Dispensary opens in West St. Paul on Friday, March 20.
Where: 2067 S. Robert Street, near the southern end of the Ten Acres shopping center at Robert Street and Mendota Road, next to Chuck & Don’s.
What: They sell a range of Minnesota-grown cannabis, including premium flower, pre-roll joints and blunts, edibles, and more.
Who: NativeCare is owned by the Red Lake Nation. They have two other locations in Red Lake and Thief River Falls.
Why here: “We chose West St Paul due to the location near other stores that people will shop at on their daily errand runs,” said NativeCare spokesperson Nokomis Paiz. “We value the people, history and cultural diversity of West St Paul. We feel NativeCare will fit in well with the community.”
Legal Reminders
Cannabis is now legal in Minnesota for those 21 and older.
- Driving: You cannot consume marijuana while driving. If it’s in your car, it must be completely sealed in the original packaging or stored in the trunk (much like alcohol)—a rule that is apparently not well known or advertised.
- Parks: In West St. Paul, marijuana use is allowed in parks, though there is no smoking within 25 feet of children (at Thompson County Park, smoking is restricted to roadways and parking lots).
Legal Process
With cannabis legalization in Minnesota, retail stores could open in 2023. The first stores opened on tribal land, with the Red Lake NativeCare being the first in the state. The first non-tribal stores opened last fall due to a slow licensing process.
- Tribal: A compact between the Red Lake Nation and the state of Minnesota, signed by Governor Tim Walz in December, opened the way for NativeCare to open off-reservation stores.
- More stores?: While West St. Paul capped cannabis stores at two (the lowest allowed by state law), the state compact trumps those local ordinances and tribal shops don’t count under the two-shop maximum. So West St. Paul could have an additional two non-tribal cannabis shops. One is currently seeking approval with the city and will come before the Planning Commission next week.
Want to know what’s happening in your neighborhood? Support local news.