CHEROKEE, N.C. (WNCN) – In just one part of North Carolina it recently became legal to buy medical marijuana after the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians authorized sales on tribal land. Following a vote on Thursday, sales of recreational marijuana could begin later this summer.
CBS 17 got an exclusive look at their operation as North Carolina lawmakers debate whether to legalize it statewide.
On April 20, or 4/20, the first sales of medical marijuana in state history took place at the Great Smoky Cannabis Company.
“I thought it looked amazing,” said Carolyn West, chair of Qualla Enterprises LLC, which runs the company.
The facility, which has more than 20,000 square feet of space, offers people a variety of ways to consume cannabis. Budtenders guide people on what may be best for them from edibles, to vapes, to creams.
There’s a bakery where people can sample cookies, chocolates and gummies and later purchase ones dosed with THC.
Not just anyone can walk in off the street and make a purchase.
People have to apply for a medical marijuana card through the tribe’s Cannabis Control Board, attesting they have one of several medical conditions such as cancer or post-traumatic stress disorder.
“The people coming through are middle-aged and higher. And, they are really here to get stuff to help them sleep, to help them go through their day without pain,” said West.
Chris Suttle, who survived a brain tumor and advocates for marijuana legalization, was one of the first customers.
“Being able to come up here on opening day and see something that I dreamed about for North Carolina, it was awe-inspiring,” he said. “My hope is that North Carolina will look at this and realize this isn’t something they have to fear.”
West said the tribal council requires independent testing of everything sold here to try to ensure what people buy is safe to consume.
“Having any individual have the sovereignty over their health is very important,” she said.
It all starts about 15 minutes away from the store. A site featuring rows and rows of marijuana plants fill these houses estimated to be worth tens of millions of dollars.
It took years to prepare to get to the point of opening to the public following approval in 2021, and there has been criticism.
While marijuana is legal on tribal land, it’s still illegal the moment you leave.
“We have opened this up to law enforcement for them to come and just to see,” said West.
Some Republicans have pushed back, including U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd.
They wrote a letter to Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland and others say the issue “raises multiple questions on how North Carolina communities will be kept safe.”
They point out it’s still illegal in the rest of the state and neighboring Tennessee.
“We exercised our sovereignty, and we use the best practices possible,” said West.
The next step for the tribe is the possible legalization of recreational marijuana. Last year, the Cherokee held a referendum, and voters approved full adult use. But, the tribal council has yet to greenlight it.
Carolyn West says they would need to hire more people and increase production.
Already, U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC 11), who represents the area, has filed the Stop Pot Act to withhold a portion of federal highway funds from states and tribes that allow recreational marijuana.
Potential for Statewide Legalization
The facility opened just a few days before the state General Assembly reconvened.
The North Carolina House and Senate have been gridlocked over whether to legalize medical marijuana, as more than three dozen other states already have done.
The Senate passed a bill last year that was more restrictive than the policies the Cherokee adopted. It covers fewer medical conditions and would limit the number of licenses that can be awarded to companies.
It faced opposition from some Senate Republicans, including Jim Burgin, who said during the debate that marijuana is “not medicine.” It passed the chamber 36-10.
State Rep. Eric Ager (D-Buncombe) says he’s concerned the bill favors large companies over local growers and should cover more medical conditions, but he’s convinced it would pass if Republicans in the House put it up for a vote.
“The medical benefits are so clear and so obvious that we need to do this and it’ll make a big difference for folks that are suffering in our state,” he said. “I think it probably goes overboard and I’m not sure it does enough to help North Carolina residents and North Carolina farmers and those kinds of things. But, at this point, we just need to get it done and then we can fix it over time.”
The move has faced resistance from a contingent of House Republicans.
Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) says he’ll only bring the bill forward if a majority of Republicans in the chamber are willing to vote for it, which he says is not the case.
“There still is not a majority of the caucus who will support the bill. so, until and unless that happens, I would not see the bill moving,” he said.
Moore says while he personally favors legalization, some Republicans have cited religious or moral objections. Others are concerned it’s really just the first step toward full legalization.
State Sen. Graig Meyer (D-Orange) says that’s exactly what should happen.
“The vast majority of North Carolinians want us to do it sooner rather than later for two reasons. One, they know how much money we’d make off of it. And secondly, they want a much safer environment than the current wild west we have around cannabis,” he said.
Senate leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) says he’s open to a compromise where his chamber would agree to new regulations on hemp and CBD products if the House would take up the medical marijuana bill.
