PIERRE, S.D. — The Flandreau Santee Sioux's plans to sell marijuana in a lounge on tribal land will likely thrust the issue before legislators in the upcoming session, the head of the State-Tribal Relations Committee said Monday.
The committee discussed the tribe's marijuana operation, which is scheduled to open New Year's Eve. Democratic Sen. Troy Heinert, the committee chairman, said he hopes the Santee Sioux and nontribal authorities can find common ground.
Republican Sen. Craig Tieszen said the situation is a "jurisdictional and enforcement nightmare" since marijuana is illegal under state law, and Attorney General Marty Jackley has said any changes in tribal laws won't affect any non-Indians or any nontribal lands. "The only thing that averts a crisis is people using common sense and being reasonable, but strict enforcement of the law would cause chaos," Tieszen said. "That's just the way it is."
