The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in western North Carolina has set an opening date for the only dispensary in the state to legally buy marijuana.
In a historic vote on Sept. 7, 2023, tribal members overwhelmingly approved adult use of marijuana on tribal land. The tribe on the 57,000-acre Qualla Boundary had already approved the use and controlled sale of medical cannabis.
Elder Cherokee women work together to trim leaves from dried cannabis stems for the flowers, so the remaining buds can be collected and used as product.
The tribe plans to open the dispensary on April 20, Lee Griffin, human resources director for the tribe’s cannabis subsidiary, Qualla Enterprises LLC, told the tribal council during a council work session on Wednesday.
April 20 is recognized by marijuana users and producers as the national cannabis holiday.
“Across the country, it’s the biggest revenue date for cannabis,” Griffin said, according to a Charlotte Observer review of the tribe’s recording of the meeting. “It’s like New Year’s Eve at the casino.”
A hoop house is teeming with flowering cannabis plants on a farm owned and operated by Qualla Enterprises, LLC in Cherokee, NC. Cannabis plants reach the flowering stage after eight to eleven weeks. Once the plant