CHEROKEE, N.C. (AP) — Members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will vote in September on whether they want to legalize marijuana possession and sales on tribal lands for anyone 21 and older. The Tribal Council agreed last week to place the question on the ballot during the tribe’s Sept. 7 general election. In 2021, the tribe decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana within the Eastern Band’s 57,000-acre (23,000-hectare) Qualla Boundary. It also formed a medical marijuana grow facility and dispensary that remains under construction — making it the first and only place to legally purchase marijuana in North Carolina. Forrest Parker, general manager of Qualla Enterprises LLC, which was formed to run the tribe’s for-profit cannabis business, told council members that permitting adult use would mean more customers and revenue for the tribe.
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