Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians approves first medical cannabis maps

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) continues its journey toward cannabis accessibility and as of last week, the tribe officially issued its first medical cannabis cards.

A monthly meeting of the Cherokee Police Commission was held on October 12, according to Neil Denman, executive director of the EBCI Cannabis Control Board (CCB). In a presentation with Denman and his colleague Kym Parker, they explained that the first medical cannabis card was issued that day and many more will follow in the coming weeks. A total of 1,005 medical cannabis card applications have been submitted and 817 have been approved to date. Only 129 were flagged as incomplete due to missing documentation such as a photo ID, and 59 were rejected for “lack of a qualifying medical condition.”

The EBCI live on a 57,000-acre reservation called the Qualla Boundary. The tribe’s website says it has 14,000 registered tribal members, but the U.S. Census Bureau reports that 9,600 people live on the reservation, 77% of whom are of Indian ancestry and 23% of whom are non-Indian. There are also two casinos on the border that are managed by the tribe.

The issue of transporting cannabis to his dispensary was questioned by Vice Chairman Joseph Buddy Johnson. To do this, the cannabis products must be transported on a state highway through Swain County. According to Denman, they are coordinating with Swain County to develop a transportation plan.

The EBCI pharmacy is not yet open, so the medical cannabis cards cannot be used. Once the program is fully operational, the cards will limit the amount patients can purchase cannabis on a daily and/or weekly basis. If a patient violates these rules, their card will either be blocked or revoked. The cards can also be used by cross-border members who want to grow their own cannabis plants at home.

Currently there are only plans for an acreage that is still under construction. In total, the addition will include 42 hoop houses, providing space for 2,040 plants. Eventually they hope to expand their house number to 69-70. Johnson inquired about plans for a second growing location, but Denman explained that the first location is the focus for now.

Originally, the EBCI Tribal Council voted to decriminalize cannabis and legalize medical cannabis in 2021 – a historic event considering this was achieved before the state of North Carolina made significant progress in legalizing medical cannabis.

In November 2022, EBCI harvested its first cannabis crop. “It’s a vertical market. We have to plant it. We have to cultivate it. We have to harvest it. We have to process it. We have to package it, move through the entire product network and get it there. “It’s a lot of people,” said Forrest Parker, general manager of Qualla Enterprises LLC. A month later, the EBCI Tribal Council agreed to provide $63 million to Qualla Enterprises to properly regulate medical cannabis. “This tribe, I’m so proud of us for empowering us to learn from other people’s mistakes so that when we do it right, that number is accurate,” Parker said. “It’s not $150 million because we’re trying to cover all these things we don’t know. We actually feel like we actually know.”

In January 2023, the tribe announced that it would move forward with plans to regulate medical cannabis on the reservation. The Council voted to submit its prepared regulations to the North Carolina General Assembly. Chief Chief Richard Sneed spoke at the meeting where the 12-member council approved the regulations, saying it was paramount to keep the state Legislature informed. “All of this is a matter of tribal law: Before anyone cooperates with the state or federal legislature, we must get permission from the governing legislature to do so,” Sneed said.

In another record decision on Sept. 7, EBCI tribal members voted in favor of a proposal to allow recreational cannabis sales on tribal lands. “Council’s adoption of a medical marijuana ordinance is evidence of changing attitudes toward legal marijuana and a recognition of the growing body of evidence supporting cannabis as medicine, particularly for people with debilitating conditions such as cancer and chronic pain,” said Sneed. Now the council will move forward with drafting legislation to regulate legal cannabis.

The Qualla Border is currently the only area in North Carolina where medical or recreational cannabis is legal. Senate Bill 3 was introduced in July, which would have legalized medical cannabis for patients with life-threatening illnesses. Although the bill initially passed the Senate earlier this year, it failed to gain support in the House of Representatives.

However, House Speaker Tim Moore announced the bill is likely dead for 2023. In order for it to pass, “it would require a number of members of the House of Representatives who have taken a no position to literally change their position to want it.” I will vote for it, and I just don’t think so. that this is going to happen,” Moore explained.