Eastern Band of Cherokee announce opening date for recreational marijuana; 1st in NC

Those looking to purchase recreational marijuana in North Carolina might not have to wait much longer.

The Great Smoky Cannabis Co. in Cherokee announced on social media Aug. 1 that they will soon open adult-use recreational marijuana on Sept. 7, making it the first recreational marijuana dispensary to fully open to those over the age of 21 in North Carolina. The dispensary — which is run by the Eastern Band of Cherokee-backed Qualla Enterprises — had opened April 20 for medical marijuana sales.

Until fully opening in September, only those over the age of 21 with a tribal ID or medical marijuana card are able to purchase products at the dispensary. The dispensary sells a wide variety of cannabis products, including marijuana concentrates, flowers and edibles. It is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

The EBCI nation is located on the Qualla Boundary. It is a sovereign nation that has its own elections, laws, government and institutions that are self-governed and autonomous. It lies primarily in the Western North Carolina mountain counties of Swain and Jackson, with smaller parts in Cherokee, Graham and Haywood.

24 states legalize recreational marijuana, NC holds out

The marijuana market has been seen as a huge economic boon for the EBCI, even as the drug remains illegal in North Carolina. Dispensary officials have previously estimated the total marijuana market could be around 80,000 pounds at the dispensary, though the amount sold was suggested to be limited by tribal investments in the dispensary and grow farm.

In total, 24 states have legalized recreational marijuana, but North Carolina has held out as state legislators have not legalized the drug for medical or recreational purposes, despite some proposals to do so. President Joe Biden in May moved to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug, meaning it could become federally legal to prescribe marijuana as medication.

Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards recently told the Citizen Times that he will "remain steadfast" in his opposition to legalizing recreational marijuana in WNC, frequently claiming that data supports the drug being dangerous to youth. He had introduced the "Stop Pot Act," which threatened to remove 10% of federal highway funding from states and tribes that sell legal marijuana. The bill failed to pass a referral to a subcommittee under the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

His skepticism on marijuana has been shared by the state's two Republican U.S. senators, Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, who sent a March letter questioning the EBCI's practice of opening the dispensary.

At the same time, Caleb Rudow, an Asheville Democratic N.C. General Assembly member challenging Edwards in the Nov. 5 election, has recently stated to the Citizen Times that the actions have shown a lack of respect for tribal sovereignty and personal liberties over what one may safely put in their body.

Those purchasing marijuana — recreational or medicinal — will not be able to take it outside the Qualla Boundary.

District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said she respects the EBCI's tribal sovereignty, but plans to enforce North Carolina state law, which prohibits the cultivation, distribution and possession of marijuana. Welch is the chief criminal prosecutor in Prosecutorial District 43, which includes Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties.

"The mission, duty and privilege of the 43rd Prosecutorial District is to enforce state laws. We do not pick certain laws to enforce and ignore others," Welch said in April.

This story will be updated.

More: Henderson Sheriff's office, judge ask to dismiss federal civil rights lawsuit against them

More: Cherokee vote passes: NC's first recreational marijuana market likely in '60-75 days'

Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at [email protected]. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Eastern Band of Cherokee to open recreational marijuana in September