Out & About
by Phoenix Stremski
Kevin Jones had a problem. He was visiting Las Vegas in 2021 and had no access to his cannabis medicine at home.
“Weed wasn’t legal in Nevada,” Jones shared, “So, I had to ask a person on the street for help in locating some and take the risk of something bad happening. It turned out to be the best weed ever. I smoked it with my wife Rhonda out in the desert, and I told her, ‘I want to take this back to my people. I want to make recreational weed legal in Red Lake.’”
At that moment, a seed was planted, and he began traveling down the long path of solopreneurship. Like many small, independently owned and operated businesses, there were obstacles.
With Rhonda’s support, Jones took action. He began planning and mobilized a grassroots effort. He organized a community petition to legalize recreational cannabis for his people. The council rejected the initial petition due to errors. After amending the petition, he retraced his steps and collected the necessary signatures. Finally, on July 11, 2023, the council voted to legalize adult recreational use.
Red Lake is home to the Ojibwe people, who migrated from the northern Great Lakes area during the 17th century. Sovereign Nations such as Red Lake possess the power to self-govern with their own laws, policies, and cultural practices and are considered federally recognized. Minnesota is home to 11 tribes, along with other smaller non-recognized tribal communities, such as the Mendota Dakota in the Twin Cities.
Today, more than three years later, Northern Nations Dispensary, Jones’ business, is located about four hours north of the Twin Cities in Redby. It is one of the first legal, recreational cannabis dispensaries operating today in Minnesota.
Step by step, Jones has been expanding his business. He recently broke ground on a 36x60 building, allowing him to grow onsite, manufacture, and increase production. Without formal business training and having limited access to professional services such as accounting and compliance, Jones must research and figure things out for himself along the way. Patience and perseverance are two essential traits in cannabis entrepreneurs, and Jones possesses both.
On the afternoon I visited, business was booming. “It’s been steady since we opened on May 15th. They’ll be coming in all day long,” Jones said. “The happy thing about me is I still can’t believe what I’m doing. I’m honored to help my tribe and welcome everyone who has come up to see what we’ve done. I want visitors to feel safe here, and welcome.”
“I did all this for my tribe, for my family, and my Nation. What I love doing is providing medicine to the people of Minnesota. I don’t know where I’d be today without this marvelous plant.”
