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There is no place to legally buy marijuana for recreational use in much of the South. That changes this weekend, when the Eastern Band of Cherokee in North Carolina will open a dispensary for recreational marijuana sales. Lilly Knoepp from Blue Ridge Public Radio reports, tribal sovereignty will test the legal lines of this new venture.
LILLY KNOEPP, BYLINE: Tucked in the mountains of western North Carolina, a farm sits hidden off the main road near the banks of the Tuckasegee River. Two years ago, the Eastern Band of Cherokee started planting a new crop here - cannabis.
ANGELITA GOMEZ: This week - tomorrow, actually, we're going to be planting over 12,000 seeds. So today, we're getting ready for that.
KNOEPP: Angelita Gomez has worked on the farm for over a year. She tends to thousands of cannabis seedlings here until they are ready to be planted in nearby greenhouses. Those plants will eventually become a product in the tribe's new business venture, a marijuana dispensary. The seed-to-sale operation is a point of pride for Gomez.
GOMEZ: There's nothing else I want to do. I'm so proud to work here. I'm so proud to be growing this medicine for our tribe and our people.
KNOEPP: On Saturday, the tribe will expand from the medical marijuana sales that started in April to recreational sales for everyone over the age of 21. Forrest Parker, executive director of Qualla Enterprises, the tribe's cannabis company, says the business is growing.
FORREST PARKER: As we go into full adult use so that we can really be positioned to, you know, supply the most robust menu that anyone has ever seen in cannabis - that's our goal.
KNOEPP: Parker knows that this will likely be the only legal dispensary in the Southeast for recreational marijuana. And tribal leadership has been clear. Tribal sovereignty ends once customers set foot off tribal lands. State lawmakers have been open to medical marijuana sales but draw the line at recreational use. North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore told local Charlotte TV station WCNC that he doesn't want it.
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TIM MOORE: I do oppose, by the way, recreational use. I think that opens the door to a lot of problems, and I oppose that.
KNOEPP: The local district attorney's office says, they recognize tribal sovereignty but have not said if they will crack down on drug possession outside tribal lands. The Eastern Band of Cherokee is setting precedent, says Rob Pero, founder of the Indigenous Cannabis Association. He says, it's the only tribe to sell in a state where marijuana is still illegal.
ROB PERO: I'm really not aware of another tribe doing what Eastern Band is doing, specifically in markets like North Carolina where it's not legal yet.
KNOEPP: Pero says, because legal sales are so restricted in the Southeast, the potential revenue is higher than for tribes in the West, where marijuana is also sold by the state.
PERO: I think it's going to be absolutely massive. You know, whether it's 5, 10 or 20 times, I think it has yet to be seen what the potential revenue can be.
KNOEPP: The Eastern Band hopes this is true. Part of their business model is offering a wide variety of cannabis products. Over 250 will be available on opening day, from joints and traditional cannabis to candy, body oils and dog treats.
For NPR News, I'm Lilly Knoepp in Cherokee, N.C.
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