The path to cannabis legalization on the Qualla Boundary has been riddled with roadblocks, some of which the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians painstakingly navigated around, some of which it has bulldozed.
Now, everything will come to a head on 4/20 when Qualla Enterprise’s new marijuana dispensary will host its grand opening and begin selling product to anyone with a valid medicinal marijuana card issued by the tribe.
However, while many on the Qualla Boundary are celebrating this monumental step forward, there are still lingering questions over how local, state and federal officials may try to hamper efforts to grow the cannabis enterprise, as well as how quickly Tribal Council will move to finalize the legalization of recreational adult marijuana use.
Although for a while the projected opening date was sometime in late 2023, there were a few delays, and 4/20 seemed like the natural choice.
“It’s the national cannabis holiday, right?” Lee Griffin, human resources director for Qualla Enterprises, said at a February Tribal Council work session. “Across the country, it’s the biggest revenue date annually” for cannabis.
Qualla Enterprises confirmed that date in a statement, adding that the grand opening will begin at 10 a.m.
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