NC Tribe is Only Legal Weed Spot

Cherokee tribe members have historically voted in favor of recreational marijuana, making their reservation the sole place in North Carolina where its use is permitted.

On the Sept. 7 vote, 2,464 members voted in favor while 1,057 were against.

Although the recreational cannabis vote is not officially binding and requires subsequent legislation, the Tribal Council has already shown its endorsement of the move.

This recent decision is a significant leap from the 2021 ruling by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to sanction medical marijuana. The medicinal system is now established and is gearing up to commence sales to eligible patients. The executives of Qualla Enterprises LLC, the entity responsible for the tribe’s profit-making medical marijuana venture, believe that wider legalization would yield “exceptional revenue” and create 400 high-paying jobs in an area requiring employment opportunities.

“Qualla has been inundated with job applications, and the figures continue to surge each week,” the organization remarked in a Sept. 6 editorial in the Cherokee One Feather, the tribal official publication. Contrarily, Dr. Kevin Sabet, the President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action, stated on Sept. 1 that contemporary marijuana products can lead to depression, lowered IQ, suicidal tendencies, and notably psychosis and schizophrenia, particularly among the youth.

Rep. Chuck Edwards, a Republican representative for the majority of Western North Carolina, insists that the federal government should intervene to prevent tribal endorsement. His suggested legislation, the Stop Pot Act, aims to deprive the Eastern Band and similar tribes and states of 10% federal highway funding if they permit recreational marijuana.

Edwards emphasizes that his act would “curb easier drug access and relieve the burden on local law enforcement and mental health experts who are already under immense pressure.” The Citizen Times tried to get comments from officials at Qualla Enterprise, a representative from the tribal government, and Eastern Band Chief, Richard Sneed.

In the Sept. 6 article, the leadership of Qualla Enterprise rebutted the claims regarding adverse consequences.

“Many researches underscore that Adult Use Cannabis often reduces crime and fosters public health and order,” they asserted. They pointed to the 2021 data from the National Bureau of Economic Research which found scant “evidence” that legalizing recreation led to increased consumption of harder drugs or surged violent criminal behavior.

Other investigations indicate actual decreases in crime and the use of other drugs. As per the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, the four states that approved recreational cannabis in 2021 saw “a 6% decrease in opioid-related emergency department visits for half a year” post-legislation, in contrast to states that did not give the green light.