Several weeks after Nebraska awarded its first medical cannabis cultivation licenses, the Omaha Tribe Cannabis Commission voted to award the tribe itself with vertical licensure. That allows the tribe to participate in all parts of the cannabis process, including the cultivation, manufacturing and sale of cannabis.

The Omaha tribe officially legalized cannabis – both medical and recreational – in July.

The tribe’s draft regulations presented Monday are less restrictive than the state of Nebraska’s. Unlike the state, they don’t include restrictions on the cannabis flower or flavoring in products.

The tribe’s attorney general, John Cartier, said that’s by design.

“We want to stand as a direct contrast to that dysfunction and show that the will of the voters is being respected, at least on the Omaha Reservation, and we’re prepared to move forward to grant access to the folks that need help through medical cannabis,” he said.

Tribal members also highlighted the potential for economic development on the reservation, located about 70 miles north of Omaha.