FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

1

ENTREPRENEURS ARE BRANCHING OUT

The Santee Sioux tribe runs a successful casino, a 120-room hotel and a 240-head buffalo ranch on the plains of South Dakota. But now the small tribe of 400 is opening a marijuana resort on its reservation in Flandreau.

2 ‘ADULT PLAYGROUND’ ATMOSPHERE

Santee Sioux leaders plan to grow their own pot — with names like “Gorilla Glue,” ”Shot Glass“and ”Big Blue Cheese“— and sell it in a smoking lounge that includes a nightclub, arcade games, bar and food service, and eventually, slot machines and an outdoor music venue.

3 THEY’RE NOT DOING IT JUST FOR FUN

The project, according to the tribe, could generate up to $2 million a month in profit, and work is already underway on the growing facility. The first joints are expected to go on sale at a New Year’s Eve party.

4 SOME LOVE IT, SOME HATE IT

Though the plan is all legal, not everyone in the area believes in the project. But the profit potential has attracted the interest of many other tribes. Tribal leaders from across the country and South Dakota legislators will tour the Flandreau facility in mid-October.

5 THERE ARE RULES, OF COURSE

Security measures require that the marijuana not leave the reservation. It will be sold in sealed 1-gram packages for $12.50 to $15 — about the same price as the illegal market in Sioux Falls. Consumers will be allowed to buy only 1 gram — enough for two to four joints — at a time.