US Senators Tillis, Budd question legality of Cherokee tribe's cannabis program – WLOS
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by Jennifer Emert
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — From the local sheriff and district attorney to the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior, North Carolina's two U.S. Senators raise concerns about the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) cannabis program.
The letter penned on March 1, 2024, by Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd asks 19 questions about oversight of EBCI's cannabis program.
CHEROKEE'S BUDDING MEDICAL MARIJUANA OPERATION SPARKS LEGAL CONCERNS, DOCTOR HESITATION
The letter asks local and federal authorities about the legality of Qualla Enterprises' cannabis program and questions, which include, "How often the National Indian Gaming Commission conducts audits to ensure the federally recognized tribes that run marijuana businesses and gaming operations do not co-mingle net profits?"
The Senators also wanted to know, "What is the US Department of Justice and US Department of Interior and US Drug Enforcement Administration doing to enforce federal law when it comes to production, cultivation, and sale of marijuana in and around the reservation?" and, "Are federally recognized tribes immune from the Controlled Substance Act?"
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NC CONGRESSMAN INTRODUCES 'STOP POT ACT' TO CURB RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, on July 8, 2021, formed the Cannabis Control Board to establish a medical cannabis industry on the Qualla Boundary and, in July 2022, created Qualla Enterprises LLC to manage the tribe’s medical marijuana business. This past fall, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians issued a ballot referendum where the majority of the members authorized the Tribal Council to move forward on a recreational cannabis program beyond the medical program approved in 2021.
CHEROKEE VOTERS EMBRACE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA, MARKING A HISTORIC FIRST IN NORTH CAROLINA
The letter also asks, "If the Qualla Enterprises LLC or EBCI is determined to have transported marijuana on a state road to the reservation, will you enforce the law?"
HIGH HOPES HINDERED: ADVOCATES NAVIGATE ROCKY ROAD TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN NORTH CAROLINA
News 13 continues to ask more questions about the letter and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians' response to the questions. You can see the full letter below.
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