The Cherokee tribal council in western North Carolina voted to legalize medical marijuana on tribal lands. This will be the first area in the state with legal possession of cannabis.
The new law will make possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by those over the age of 21 legal on tribal land. It is referred to as the Qualla Boundary.
The Qualla Boundary includes 100 square miles of western North Carolina. While it will be legal on the tribal lands. It remains illegal in the rest of North Carolina.
It will still be illegal to grow or sell cannabis on the tribe’s land. But Principal Chief Richard Sneed said this vote is the beginning of a series of moves to legalize marijuana on tribal lands.
Council Meeting for Legalization
“There is so much science supporting cannabis as a medicine,” Sneed told the tribal council before the vote. “This really is a quality-of-life issue as well for folks who have debilitating diseases, chronic pain, chronic back pain, cancer.”
This will be the first step for moving forward toward medicinal cannabis. Legalizing it first is important.
“The people want cannabis, the world is changing, society is changing,” Jeremy Wilson, the EBCI’s government affairs liaison, said in an earlier interview.
“We want to have dispensaries here on the Qualla Boundary and to be able to sell, but we have to start with this phase first,” he said.
On the Qualla Boundary, the Cherokee have sovereignty and they make their own laws. This land spans 100 square miles over five counties in western North Carolina. During discussions council members spoke about the opioid epidemic, noting that everyone in the area is affected by it. Medical marijuana could help the opioid problem in the area. Offering a medicinal option for those affected by opioids.
Councilmember Richard French said, “it’s for the betterment of our people.” The council did remove a section of the ordinance that was going to allow people to give away small amounts of cannabis without selling it.
Legalization Moving Across the Country
Marijuana remains illegal in North Carolina. Possession of less than half an ounce is punishable by a fine. At the federal level marijuana is still a Schedule I controlled substance.
But many states around the country have decriminalized or legalized marijuana in the last few years. Recreational marijuana is legal in 36 states and the District of Columbia.
Other Native American tribes have legalized marijuana in states where it is otherwise illegal. The Oglala Sioux in North Dakota legalized marijuana in October. They are the first Native American tribe to legalize marijuana use in a state that has yet to similarly regulate it.
Another benefit of legalization for the Cherokee is having another revenue stream. Developing a marijuana industry on the Qualla Boundary could help offset losses at the casino.
Wilson talked about the benefits of legalization. First, they would benefit from having a legal framework to allow for a dispensary in the Qualla Boundary. Second, it would supply medical marijuana to the public, and third, it would create revenue streams for the tribe.
The next step will be to legalize the sale and growth of marijuana on tribal land.
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