Native American tribes are allowed to grow and sell marijuana on their lands, even in states where the practice is not legalized, the U.S. Justice Department said Thursday.

Officials say they just have to follow the same rules set for other states that have legalized marijuana.

The DOJ told U.S. attorneys to not prosecute the 566 federally recognized tribes for marijuana offenses if they are following the same guidelines as states with legalized cannabis, such as Colorado and Washington.

Allowing tribes to legally cultivate marijuana may boost their economy in the same way that tobacco sales and casinos have. The largest tribes make a big profit on casinos and outlet malls.

There is no information on how many tribes would take advantage of the policy because a lot are opposed to legalizing marijuana on their lands. If requested, federal officials will continue to enforce the law.

"The tribes have the sovereign right to set the code on their reservations," said Timothy Purdon, the U.S. attorney for North Dakota and the chairman of the Attorney General's Subcommittee on Native American Issues, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Kevin A. Sabet, an opponent of marijuana legalization and former advisor on drug issues to President Obama, called the policy an "extremely troubling development."

"Native Americans and their families suffer disproportionately from addiction compared to other groups," Sabet said. "The last thing they want is another commercialized industry that targets them for greater use."

Purdon said that most of the Native American tribes are against the idea of legalizing marijuana on their lands because of the negative alcohol abuse that plagues their tribes.

U.S. attorney to Colorado John Walsh said that the new memorandum was set to make sure that tribes abide by the same laws that other states with legalized marijuana do. He added that federal officials still have the authority to prosecute marijuana felonies on their lands.

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