The state of Connecticut has signed a compact with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe recognizing the right of the tribe to regulate its own cannabis industry.
The agreement will also allow for the tribe to participate in the Connecticut market by selling to and buying from state licensees.
The tribe says it has not yet authorized any adult-use cannabis businesses, but the compact will allow any future companies on tribal land to access the state’s licensed production, wholesale and distribution chain.
The agreement covers:
- How criminal and civil cannabis laws are enforced;
- Rules for possessing, producing, delivering, processing, or using cannabis;
- Tax laws and regulations related to cannabis;
- How the tribe will protect public health and safety and ensure security at cannabis facilities; and
- How regulated cannabis moves between tribal land and other areas of the state
“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,” Gov. Ned Lamont said in a statement announcing the compact.
This is Connecticut’s first tribal-state compact on cannabis. The law passed in 2021 that legalized adult-use cannabis anticipated such tribal agreements.
