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In what may have been the best-timed opening in retail history, on April 20 the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians opened a medical cannabis dispensary. I say that because among smokers, 4/20 has become code for marijuana use; tell your kids who use the phrase that I’m sorry for ratting them out.
That may have just been savvy marketing, but it also could have been a slap back at federal officials who are attempting to undermine the tribe’s sovereignty by punishing it for allowing the sale of marijuana. U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) is among them; his Stop Pot Act would withhold 10 percent of federal highway funds for governments that violate federal law under the Controlled Substances Act, which does prohibit recreational marijuana and classifies it as a Schedule 1 drug.
However, that may be coming to an end. The U.S. Department of Justice said on April 30 that President Joe Biden’s administration plans to remove marijuana from a list of the most dangerous and highly regulated drugs. The Drug Enforcement Administration will propose moving weed from a Schedule I substance, which also includes heroin and methamphetamine, to Schedule III, which is the category for regulated-but-legal drugs, including testosterone and Tylenol with codeine, according to ncnewsline.com.
Even though cannabis has not been associated with any of the serious ills linked to opioids, the plant has been listed as a Schedule I drug since 1971. That has continued even as many states – and the Eastern Band, which has trust land in Cherokee County – have moved to legalize recreational use for more than a decade and medicinal use for even longer.
So far, no problems have been reported at the tribe’s dispensary. The EBCI Cannabis Control Board started accepting applications for medical marijuana cards on April 20, 2023, and only those with such a card can purchase products containing THC, which is what gives the drug its “high.”
In our April 17 edition, the Cherokee Scout asked readers about this issue, and we were somewhat surprised at the results. The Poll Question was, “What’s your opinion on the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ decision to open a medical marijuana dispensary, with an expansive grow operation, on tribal land?” Answers were:
u It’s OK to sell only to those who have a medical marijuana card – 16
percent.
u It should be OK to sell to anyone for recreational purposes – 62 percent.
u It should only be OK to sell to tribal members – 3 percent.
u Selling pot is still a federal crime –
19 percent.
Note that less than two out of every 10 respondents seemed to be against selling marijuana altogether. That’s says a lot about how perceptions concerning Reefer Madness have changed since 1936.
The biggest problem with cannabis is not enough studies have been done on the potential long-term health effects. However, moving marijuana to Schedule III could resolve this, allowing greater study of medicinal uses – as well as allowing related businesses to use a common tax deduction. Billions of dollars are spent on marijuana every year in the United States, but only some states are benefitting from the additional sales taxes and resources that brings.
As a sovereign nation, the Eastern Band tribe has the right to do what it pleases with pot. And if abortion is considered a states rights issue, then marijuana should be treated similarly. Regardless, what North Carolina decides to do with weed ultimately will play a large part in our future economy.
David Brown is publisher of the Cherokee Scout. You can reach him by phone, 828-837-5122; email, dbrown@cherokeescout.com; or on X @daviddBstroh.