The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians announced the tribe’s cannabis shop, the Great Smoky Cannabis Company, will open its doors to any adult aged 21 or older starting September 7. The shop, located in the Quolla Boundary, is the first and only source of legal cannabis in North Carolina.
Kara Howard of Qualla Enterprises, the Cherokee subsidiary that operates the Great Smoky Cannabis Company, told the Charlotte Observer that the shop will have enough product to handle the increased demand from opening to the general public. The shop — a renovated former bingo hall in the Great Smoky Mountains —
When the shop launched on April 20 this year, sales were limited to people with a medical cannabis card issued by the tribe’s Cannabis Control Board. Later, the business opened its doors to any adult member of the tribe or another federally recognized tribe. Voters in the Qualla Boundary passed the adult-use reforms in September 2023 and the measure was formally adopted by tribal leaders in June.
A Qualla Enterprises representative previously estimated the regional adult-use market could reach about 80,000 pounds of cannabis.
Lawmakers in the North Carolina Senate, meanwhile, passed a medical cannabis legalization bill in June but the proposal faced opposition from the GOP-controlled House, and the session ended on Wednesday without further progress.
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