Haze

South Dakota tribe starts growing plants for ‘marijuana resort’

FLANDREAU, S.D. (BG)— The marijuana plants are already growing in a remodeled building on the Flandreau Santee Sioux reservation as the southeast South Dakota tribe shoots for a New Year’s Eve opening for its first-of-its-kind resort.

The state-of-the-art marijuana growing operation with its 65 strains of plants is in its infancy as finishing touches are being put on the building where it will take about 14 weeks to grow about 80 pounds of pot. That’s how much the tribe hopes to sell weekly at its smoking lounge and entertainment resort just south of their casino that is noting its 25th year of operation this month.

The resort has been about a year in the making, as the tribal council, which leads the tribe of 280 adults and 110 children on the reservation, voted 5-1 late last year to pursue the resort idea.

Interest in the operation has certainly been high, and president Tony Reider said other tribes across the nation are closely watching, as it will be the first-ever marijuana resort on a reservation.