Marijuana in Minnesota: NativeCare closes online store due to overwhelming demand

Legal marijuana sales begin in Minnesota, with first in Red Lake

Recreational marijuana is legal in Minnesota beginning today, with the first dispensary officially opening in Red Lake.

RED LAKE, Minn. (FOX 9) - The overwhelming demand for recreational marijuana since it became legal in Minnesota on Aug. 1 has forced NativeCare — the state's first retailer of recreational marijuana — to stop online orders.

In a post on Facebook Wednesday, NativeCare, which is located on Red Lake tribal land, said it has made the decision to close the online store "to support the current number of orders that were placed in the last 48 hours."

The retailer says it still has plenty of product.

More info: Recreational marijuana is now legal in Minnesota: A guide

Hundreds of people traveled to NativeCare on Tuesday, Aug. 1 — the day recreational marijuana became legal in Minnesota — to buy weed from the state's first retailer. Some of them waited three hours or longer just to get inside. Tribal members took care of the crowd waiting outside with hot dogs and water, but the star of the show was inside. Customers stepped up to displays of Hella Jelly, Caramel Crème, and other strains. And for the first time in Minnesota history, they legally bought marijuana for fun.

Red Lake started growing medical-grade cannabis 2 1/2 years ago and Tribal Secretary Samuel Strong says they can grow enough to keep up with demand from across the state.

Red Lake had a head start on any competition, but there are other dispensaries coming to Minnesota tribal lands pretty soon. White Earth opened its dispensary on Thursday.