CHEROKEE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The sale and use of recreational marijuana could become legal as early as this summer for anyone over the age of 21, as long as it’s bought and consumed on the Qualla Boundary of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Tribal council members voted to approve the new ordinance on June 6, just a few weeks after opening North Carolina’s first medical marijuana dispensary.
Officials estimated The Great Smoky Cannabis Company could generate $385 million in gross revenue in its first year if it sold to anyone over the age of 21, compared to $200 million if it catered to only medical patients.
In September, EBCI members voted in a referendum about whether they would support recreational marijuana sales. 70 percent said they would.
Now that the ordinance has passed, leaders said recreational sales will likely begin to tribe members in July and will expand to anyone over the age of 21 by mid-August.
“We exercised our sovereignty, and we use the best practices possible,” said Carolyn West with Qualla Enterprises, the Cherokee-owned company that manages the tribe’s cannabis operation.
The Great Smoky Cannabis Company started selling medical marijuana to adults with medical marijuana cards on April 20.
Meanwhile, marijuana use in North Carolina remains illegal. Any cannabis purchased on the Qualla Boundary cannot be taken off of it.
A bill to legalize medical marijuana in the state is still sitting in the general assembly, but Speaker Tim Moore said he doesn’t believe it has enough support to get off the ground.
