OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) -The Omaha Tribe claims Nebraska’s attorney general is retaliating against their medical marijuana program by ending negotiations on an unrelated tobacco tax compact.

Tribal Attorney General John Cartier said he received a phone call from the state about the tobacco tax compact an hour before the tribe’s first cannabis commission meeting. The compact would have allowed the tribe and state to share revenue from Nebraska’s tobacco sales tax.

“It was certainly retaliation. That was what was said explicitly to me over the phone,” Cartier said.

State ends tobacco tax negotiations

Cartier said the caller from the Nebraska Attorney General’s office made the connection clear between the tribe’s medical cannabis plans and the tobacco tax deal.

“She told me flat out— that the attorney general’s office is not going to move forward with our tribal tobacco tax compact because the tribe is going to engage in the medical cannabis industry,” Cartier said.

The negotiations between the Omaha Tribe and the state of Nebraska were fairly new. Cartier said he called Attorney General Mike Hilgers directly after receiving the call from his office.

Concerns about police presence

Beyond the tobacco tax issue, Cartier said the state has other plans related to the tribe’s medical marijuana program.

“It seems like the state is planning on expending significant police resources to station essentially folks around our border,” Cartier said.

He said this appears to be an effort to stop people from leaving the reservation after purchasing marijuana legally.

“To use the medical cannabis issue, which has been highly politicized by this attorney general, is inappropriate in my opinion, but it’s even worse because it’s unfairly targeting the tribe,” Cartier said.

Attorney general’s office declines comment

The Nebraska Attorney General’s office declined to comment on the retaliation claims. A spokesperson said last week that the attorney general will eventually provide a written response after talking it over with the governor.

The Omaha Tribe leadership said they are still moving forward with medical cannabis, including growing and selling it.

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