Minnesota’s first non‑tribal, non‑medical seed‑to‑sale recreational cannabis business is now operating with the launch of Smith Farms North and Trailhead Cannabis Company. While tribal nations such as Red Lake Nation’s NativeCare and White Earth Nation’s Waabigwan Mashkiki were early adopters of vertically integrated recreational cannabis, no other non‑tribal business has publicly opened a fully integrated grow‑to‑retail operation under the state’s new adult‑use framework, according to Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management records and public operator disclosures.
Tom Smith founded Smith Farms North to produce high quality, fresh cannabis using terpene‑rich indoor flowers, genetics and solventless extraction. Its model keeps everything close: grown upstairs, sent out briefly for required testing, then returned directly to Trailhead’s retail counter on the first floor “Premium does not begin with packaging. It begins in the room, carries through harvest and post-harvest handling, and has to be earned batch by batch,” the company’s website states.
Trailhead’s storefront was designed to feel warm, outdoorsy and approachable, especially for older adults who may be exploring cannabis for the first time. With its integrated model and community‑focused approach, Smith Farms North and Trailhead Cannabis are out to establish a new benchmark for Minnesota’s next chapter of cannabis entrepreneurship.
(Source: Lakeland PBS.)
