by Staff Report
HARTFORD, CT – The Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, a sovereign nation, has been given permission to enter Connecticut’s cannabis market under a new compact signed by its tribe chairman and Gov. Ned Lamont.
The compact recognizes the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe’s regulation of its own cannabis industry on tribal lands and allows for participation in the state’s market by selling to and buying from state licensees, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
The tribe has not yet authorized any adult-use cannabis businesses. However, the compact will allow any future tribal-licensed cannabis businesses to access the state’s licensed production, wholesale, and distribution chain and to transact business with state licensees.
The agreement also regulates tax laws related to cannabis, how criminal and civil cannabis laws are enforced and how regulated cannabis moves between tribal land and other areas of the state.
“This compact marks yet another milestone in the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe’s exercise of its sovereignty and self-determination,” tribe Chairman Rodney Butler said in the news release. “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.”
The Responsible and Equitable Regulation of Adult-Use Cannabis Act, passed in June 2021, allows Connecticut’s governor to enter into compacts with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut, or both. This agreement coordinates state and tribal rules about possessing, producing, delivering, processing, and using cannabis, according to the release.
The tribe also enacted the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Cannabis Regulatory Act in 2021 to comprehensively regulate the cannabis industry on tribal lands.
“We have enjoyed a long-standing positive relationship with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, built on respect for tribal sovereignty,” Lamont said in the release. “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.”
Connecticut Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli said his department looks forward to working with the tribe and any future tribal-licensed cannabis entities.
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