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Mohegan — Don’t look for marijuana sprouts to start popping up on the Mohegan reservation any time soon.



While the tribe that owns Mohegan Sun acknowledged Thursday that it is reviewing a U.S. Department of Justice announcement regarding the legal cultivation and sale of marijuana on tribal lands, it has yet to determine whether such an endeavor would be a good investment.



“We are not actively pursuing this,” Chuck Bunnell, the tribe’s chief of staff, said Friday. “We’re absolutely not at the point where we are classifying our interest in any particular aspect of the business. There is a great deal of due diligence required.”



The Justice Department said federally recognized Indian tribes can grow and sell marijuana on their lands provided they follow the laws adopted by states, like Connecticut, that have legalized the drug.



“Our awareness of this issue did not begin with yesterday’s announcement,” Bunnell said. “The tribe has been aware that states have taken different positions (regarding marijuana) over the last few years. The new information has not caused the tribe to cross any new threshold. We expect to continue to be aware of and to review new developments in this area.



“It’s important to note that no new laws were changed this week,” he said. “The change seems to be confined to the position of the Department of Justice.”



A spokesman for the Mashantucket Pequots, the tribe that owns Foxwoods Resort Casino, said his tribe has not debated whether to pursue the business of marijuana production or sales.



“The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council has not reviewed or considered the issue,” Bill Satti, the tribe’s director of public affairs, said in an email.



Connecticut legalized the medical use of marijuana in 2012, and has authorized the drug’s sale at six licensed dispensaries, including one in Uncasville, not far from the Mohegan reservation.



The state Department of Consumer Protection, which oversees the medical marijuana program, also has awarded licenses to four marijuana producers, three of which are now producing, with the fourth expected to come on line next month, according to the department’s commissioner, William Rubenstein.



“Those four will have plenty of capacity to meet the demand,” Rubenstein said Friday.



He said the department would issue a request for further applications from producers if and when it determines there’s a need for more supply.



The Mohegans have pushed to diversify their nongaming business portfolio the last couple of years, signing franchise agreements with restaurant chains, acquiring wood pellet production plants and partnering with ventures involved in business software and digital office technology.



They’ve also acquired a professional lacrosse team set to debut next month at Mohegan Sun Arena.



b.hallenbeck@theday.com



Twitter: @bjhallenbeck

