North Carolina's First And Only Recreational Marijuana Shop Opening Soon Thanks To Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

Nearly a month after Great Smoky Cannabis Co., an Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (ECBI) medical marijuana dispensary in North Carolina, announced that recreational cannabis was available to adult members of the ECBI and other federally recognized Native American tribes, the opening celebration is about to take place.

ECBI's members said yes to recreational cannabis on a Sept. 7 referendum in 2023. To celebrate the anniversary, the first legal recreational cannabis store in North Carolina will open its doors in September.

A social media post, that announced the recreational sales kick-off on Sept. 7 asked "Are you ready to be part of history?"

The shop has been selling medical marijuana since 4/20 2024. This opening followed the EBCI Tribal Council's 2021 decision to legalize medical cannabis within the Qualla Boundary.

Great Smoky Cannabis noted in a July Instagram post that tribal members seeking to buy marijuana must be over 21 and have a valid tribal membership card. The dispensary will continue to accept medical patient cards for customers regardless of tribal status.

Read Also: Cherokee Tribe Moves Forward With Recreational Cannabis Sales, While North Carolina And Neighboring States Remain Fully Illegal

As earlier highlighted by Benzinga's Rolando García, the tribal enterprise expects to profit from residents living in the prohibitionist and nearby states Tennessee and South Carolina where cannabis is fully prohibited, but also Virginia and Georgia, where only medicinal marijuana is permitted.

Meanwhile, a proposal to legalize medical cannabis in North Carolina failed three times. Members of the state House of Representatives did not call up the medical marijuana proposal for a vote though it previously won approval in the state Senate.

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