Adult-use marijuana sales for all set to begin in Cherokee
By Kelly Doty
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CHEROKEE, North Carolina (WLOS) — A date is set for when the public can buy recreational marijuana in Cherokee.
The Great Smoky Cannabis Company announced on social media that adult-use sales for anyone over 21 years old will begin on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 10 a.m.
“Are you ready to #BePartOfHistory” the post said in part.
The Great Smoky Cannabis Dispensary first opened for medical sales on April 20, 2024, becoming the first of its kind in North Carolina.
On June 6, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council amended its cannabis ordinance, allowing for recreational sales on the reservation, as well.
Adult tribe members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and other recognized federal tribe members have been able to purchase recreational marijuana at the dispensary since July 4, 2024.
Despite laws passed in the Qualla Boundary, marijuana remains illegal in the rest of North Carolina. The sheriff of Swain County, which borders Cherokee land, said in a June interview that his department would enforce state law.
“They need to educate their people up there that when they come off the boundary, they’re in a different world,” Sheriff Curtis Cochran said. “We’ll educate them if we catch them with it. We’ll charge them for it.”
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