PINE RIDGE, S.D. (KELO) — In 2020, the people of the Oglala Sioux Tribe voted to legalize both recreational and medical marijuana. Now, two years later the town of Pine Ridge with it’s population of just around 3,000 people, hosts four recreational marijuana dispensaries.
These four are Rez Budz, No Worries, Main Street Cannabis and Warpath Cannabis. A fifth dispensary is open across the reservation in Kyle.
To get a look at the growing industry, KELOLAND News traveled to Pine Ridge, where we spoke with the owners of two of the city’s dispensaries about the business, and the impact they feel it can have on their community.
“The tribe first approached us and had this idea of starting up dispensaries,” said Adonis Saltes, owner of No Worries, the first recreational dispensary on the reservation. “We talked to a lot of the officials and it was something we couldn’t pass up.”
Saltes also owns a restaurant and a real estate holding company in Pine Ridge. He says owning a dispensary in the community means a lot.
“We have a lot of different issues on the reservation — and through this new business venture, we’re creating hope — it’s not as traditional as it used to be. [Young people] like to know that you can make a living working in a dispensary and growing plants,” Saltes said.
No Worries has around 2,000 square feet of cultivation space, according to manager Ty Eagle Bull, and they are…
