DEPARTMENT OF CANNABIS REGULATIONS: INDEPENDENCE AND INTEGRITY

By Vivian LaMoore, Inaajimowin Editor

If there’s one thing Becky Houle knows inside and out, it’s how to create and regulate rules. Having worked in regulatory environments for over two decades, she wouldn’t change her career path for anything. Today, she serves as the Executive Director, developing the new Department of Cannabis Regulations (DCR) for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.

The Mille Lacs Band Department of Cannabis Regulations (DCR) is an independent agency of tribal government, respon sible for establishing regulatory authority over cannabis busi nesses within the Band’s sovereign territory as well as Com pact Cannabis Activity. The DCR’s mission is to protect public health and safety, promote responsible cannabis business practices, and ensure all Band cannabis operations comply with Title 15 of the Mille Lacs Band Statutes, the DCR’s Initial Cannabis Regulations, Tribal-State Compact(s), and all other applicable laws.

“So basically, we are the regulatory authority for all of the Tribe’s cannabis activity,” Houle said.

Currently, the department consists of one staff member — Houle herself — and a five-member board of directors. Houle hopes to create a position for an assistant in the future. At the time of this interview with Inaajimowin, she had been in her role for three weeks, spending much of her time catching up on hundreds of pages of laws, tribal and state cannabis history, and coordinating with legal staff who have been involved since the Band’s cannabis journey began.

The Band is in the process of negotiating a cannabis com pact with the state. “First and foremost, the Cannabis Regu lations Department must create the regulations,” Houle ex plained. According to Mille Lacs Band Statutes, the regulations must be completed within 180 days of the first board meeting — the time started counting down long before Houle’s hiring. “They had already met, and that clock was ticking,” she said. Working closely with legal staff, Houle is focused on complet ing the regulations promptly. She noted that they will integrate elements from Minnesota’s cannabis regulations and review regulations from other tribes to identify best practices suited to the unique needs of Mille Lacs.

“We have good examples to go by,” she said. “Our initial regulations can always be amended later if needed.”

The DCR will also oversee the issuance of cannabis li censes for all activities, including cultivation, manufacturing, retail, wholesale, vendor operations, and any cannabis-related activities on tribal land. The licensing regulations and process es — including background checks and personal information requirements — will be published online, following a model similar to the Gaming Regulatory Authority.

The Band’s statute sets a broad framework, Houle said. “We will meet the state’s minimum cannabis standards. Basically, if you are going to be working at any cannabis entity, there will be background checks and adherence to Minnesota’s minimum criminal history standards.”

“I definitely feel at home in the tribal regulatory environment. [Cannabis] is a fun, new industry to learn,” Houle said.

Her career in regulation began in 2004 when she joined the Band as an internal auditor with the Gaming Regulatory Authority (GRA). Over the years, she rose through the ranks to become Executive Director of GRA in 2021. Later, she transitioned to the compliance regulatory side at SLOTCO, a move she also cherished.

“I loved working at GRA and would have stayed there for a million years. When the SLOTCO regulatory position opened, I saw an opportunity to use my skills to help that operation thrive. The same goes for the cannabis department — build ing an entire regulatory structure from scratch to support the Tribe’s entry into the cannabis industry was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

Houle’s regulatory career dates back to her college days. While attending graduate school at the College of St. Scholastica and living in Cloquet, she read about Band internships in the tribal newspaper. At 23, she moved from the Fond du Lac Reservation, where she grew up, to Mille Lacs for a summer internship at Corporate. After the internship ended, she stayed on as a purchasing assistant and soon completed her first Master’s degree in Business Management. When approached about a role in Internal Audit at GRA, she accepted — and the rest is history.

She later earned a second Master’s degree in Tribal Administration and Governance as part of the first graduating cohort from the University of Minnesota Duluth’s program.

The Department of Cannabis Regulations office is currently located inside the Legislative Office, though it will eventually move to its own location. Contact information for the depart ment is available on the Band’s website. Houle encourages Band members to keep an eye open for announcements re garding the finalized state compact, which will be posted for public comment.

“I want people to know they should reach out anytime. I might not have all the answers right away, but I will have the resources to find them.”

Houle is committed to bringing her expertise to the Department of Cannabis Regulations to ensure the Mille Lacs Band cannabis industry is governed with independence and integrity.