Marijuana Resort Set to Open in South Dakota
The small South Dakota Indian tribe known as the Flandreau Santee Sioux already has a successful casino, a 120-room hotel and a 240-head buffalo ranch.
Now it's undertaking a new venture _ opening the nation's first marijuana resort on its reservation. The experiment could offer a new money-making model for tribes nationwide seeking economic opportunities beyond casinos.
Santee Sioux leaders plan to grow their own pot 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.
Time Magazine recently ran a report about why many Indian Tribes are getting into the marijuana business. Some of the "pot lounges" that are opening up let customers buy and smoke up to 2 grams of marijuana a day.
Similar resorts have already opened in Colorado. They are called "Bud and Breakfast" Inns.
Tribal President Anthony Reider envisions the resort as ``an adult playground.''
The tribe says the project could generate up to $2 million a month in profit. The first joints are expected to go on sale New Year's Eve.