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by Jennifer Emert
QUALLA BOUNDARY, N.C. (WLOS) — The Control Board for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Medical Cannabis program accepted the first applicationson a day synonymous with marijuana use: 4/20.
The EBCI's seed-to-sale effort was authorized by the Tribal Council in 2021. Plant harvesting by Qualla Enterprises LLC began last year.
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The application process for the medical Cannabis patient cards is open for tribal members only. On Thursday, a handful of people arrived at the office in person to pick up an application between 7:45 a.m. and noon. The office is closed between noon and 1 p.m. daily.
Applications will be accepted online and in person and require a physician's signature.
"The application processing process will take several weeks, and then we'll be issuing the patient cards, and they'll be valid for a minimum of one year," EBCI CCB Chairman David Wijewickrama said.
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The CCB office had several inquiries from North Carolina residents without tribal membership. They were told they could apply in several weeks when it's opened to state residents who meet the Tribe's medical criteria for a patient card.
You can find more information on the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians' Medical Cannabis program on the Qualla BoundaryHERE.
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