Compact Creates Framework for Mashantucket Pequot Tribe To Establish and Regulate Its Own Cannabis Industry on Tribal Land and Access the State’s Existing Cannabis Market
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Mashantucket Pequot Tribe Chairman Rodney Butler today announced they have signed Connecticut’s first tribal-state cannabis compact. The compact recognizes the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe’s regulation of its own cannabis industry on tribal lands and allows for participation in the Connecticut market by selling to and buying from state licensees.
The Responsible and Equitable Regulation of Adult-Use Cannabis Act, passed in June 2021, allows Connecticut’s governor to enter into compacts with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut, or both. This agreement coordinates state and tribal rules about possessing, producing, delivering, processing, and using cannabis.
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, a sovereign nation, also enacted the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Cannabis Regulatory Act in 2021 to comprehensively regulate the cannabis industry on tribal lands.
The tribe has not yet authorized any adult-use cannabis businesses, but the compact will allow any future tribal-licensed cannabis businesses to access the state’s licensed production, wholesale, and distribution chain and to transact business with state licensees.
“We have enjoyed a long-standing positive relationship with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, built on respect for tribal sovereignty,” Governor Lamont said. “Together, we recognized the need for cooperation and collaboration with regard to cannabis regulation in the state and on tribal lands. 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.”
“This compact marks yet another milestone in the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe’s exercise of its sovereignty and self-determination,” Chairman Butler said. “It strengthens our government-to-government partnership with the State of Connecticut, and opens the door to future commerce between tribally-licensed cannabis businesses and state licensees.”
“The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection looks forward to working with the tribe and any future tribal-licensed cannabis entities to ensure public health and safety in the marketplace,” Connecticut Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli said.
The compact is an agreement between only the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe and the State of Connecticut. It 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 on tribal land (such as production, processing, testing, or retail sites)
- How regulated cannabis moves between tribal land and other areas of the state
A copy of the signed compact—along with a summary and answers to frequently asked questions—has been published online at ct.gov/cannabis.
Additional information about state-tribal compacts is also available in an informational article on that website.
**Download: Cannabis compact between the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe and the State of Connecticut