NORTH CAROLINA, USA — Members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians voted to legalize marijuana possession and sales on tribal lands for anyone 21 and older — not just for those seeking it for medical use that the North Carolina tribe had already authorized.
Unofficial poll results show the measure passed with nearly 70% of voters in support on Thursday.
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 structure that includes a tribe-created business to grow cannabis and sell it in a large dispensary that remains under construction — making it the first and only place to legally purchase marijuana in North Carolina.
Contact Kia Murray at kmurray@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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