Agreement allows Mashantucket Pequot Tribe to establish cannabis industry on tribal lands
The agreement allows the tribe to buy and sell cannabis to state-licensed distributors. However, tribal leaders have not announced any specific business plans.
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A compact between Connecticut and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe will allow the tribe to create its own cannabis industry on tribal lands.
Gov. Ned Lamont and Mashantucket Pequot Tribe Chairman Rodney Butler announced Thursday they have signed the state's first tribal-state cannabis compact.
The agreement allows the tribe to buy and sell cannabis to state-licensed distributors. However, tribal leaders have not announced any specific business plans.
The tribe is the longtime owner and operator of Foxwoods Casino.
“We have enjoyed a long-standing positive relationship with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, built on respect for tribal sovereignty. Together, we recognized the need for cooperation and collaboration with regard to cannabis regulation in the state and on tribal lands. This collaborative effort ensures public health and safety remains the top priority, provides clarity concerning criminal and civil enforcement, and creates a framework that respects tribal jurisdiction while allowing increased participation in the state’s adult-use cannabis market," says Lamont.
“This compact marks yet another milestone in the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe’s exercise of its sovereignty and self-determination. It strengthens our government-to-government partnership with the State of Connecticut, and opens the door to future commerce between tribally-licensed cannabis businesses and state licensees," says Butler.
