On Saturday, May 24, 2025, the White Earth Nation opened the first dispensary in the state of Minnesota. The Waabigwan Mashkiki dispensary opened in Moorhead, marking the tribal nation’s first business to open on state land.
Oaksterdam University is proud to have supported the White Earth Nation as it makes history in the cannabis movement. Through our partnership with the White Earth Tribal and Community College, we successfully delivered a specialized Horticulture semester to support the Tribe’s workforce development ahead of launch.
The White Earth Nation’s Waabigwan Mashkiki dispensary is the first to open in Minnesota.
This isn’t just a business milestone. It’s a cultural moment.
Waabigwan Mashkiki, meaning “flower medicine” in Ojibwe, is more than a dispensary. It represents the future of Native-owned cannabis operations across Minnesota, backed by legal compacts and led by community-centered values.
Key facts:
- White Earth Nation is the first to finalize a compact with the State of Minnesota, allowing cannabis operations beyond tribal lands.
- The new dispensary in Moorhead is the first of eight planned locations.
- The compact includes quality control standards, cultivation caps, and transportation permissions.
- Oaksterdam-trained professionals now help drive safe, compliant operations in this growing network.
Zach Wilson, CEO of Waabigwan Mashkiki, shared:
“This is a real business and we’re taking it very seriously… blood, sweat, and tears have gone into this over the last year.
What’s next:
- Another location of Waabigwan Mashkiiki is set to open in St. Cloud in June.
- Nine more Tribal compacts are in the works statewide.
- Oaksterdam remains committed to empowering communities with compliant, career-ready cannabis education.
Native-grown. Minnesota-rooted. Open to all.
Oaksterdam congratulates the White Earth Nation on this significant step forward.