Republican threatens to ‘defund’ NC tribe on brink of historic marijuana vote

As Cherokee tribal members in North Carolina prepare to vote on legalizing adult-use cannabis, a congressman from the area is threatening to defund the tribe — whether the measure passes or not.

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Principal Chief Richard Sneed is calling the Republican congressman’s comments “a major political blunder.”

Republican U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards on Friday plans to introduce what he calls his Stop Pot Act, spokesman Kye Laughter told The Charlotte Observer Thursday.

Laughter declined to discuss details of the anti-cannabis legislation, saying Edwards’ office would issue a news release with more information when the bill is introduced.

Edwards warned in an Aug. 17 opinion piece in the Cherokee One Feather newspaper that his legislation “will defund governments that ignore federal law” regarding cannabis sales and use.

“Here in our beloved mountains, we are already facing unprecedented crime, drug addiction and mental illness,” Edwards wrote. “I can’t stand by and condone even greater access to drugs to poison more folks in WNC, not to mention having even more impaired drivers on our roads.”

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is a sovereign self-governed nation and a federally-recognized tribe. The tribe and individuals are eligible for U.S. funding in a variety of ways, including recent COVID-19 American Rescue Plan allocations.

It’s unclear exactly what Edwards means by “defund.”

In a letter published Thursday in Cherokee One Feather, Sneed said Edwards “has overstepped his authority.” He points out that Edwards is “a federal representative; a non-Indian, elected official telling a sovereign tribal nation how they ought to handle their business.”

Only place to toke up a joint

Although many states have legalized medical and adult recreational use of cannabis, marijuana remains illegal under federal law.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will vote Sept. 7 on whether to legalize adult use of marijuana on tribal lands in North Carolina.

If the Sept. 7 measure passes, the tribe’s 57,000-acre Qualla Boundary in the western part of the state would become the only place in North Carolina where you could legally toke up a joint.

The tribe already plans to open what tribal officials call the world’s largest medical cannabis dispensary superstore.

Having grown and cultivated medical marijuana for many months, the tribe originally planned to issue regulated medical cards to eligible adults to buy from the dispensary. The retail operation is poised to be the first and only place to legally purchase marijuana in North Carolina.

With broader legalization on tribal lands a possibility, it remains unclear whether dispensary sales would still require a medical card. But discussion in July by tribe leaders suggest some are expecting the referendum could lead to recreational marijuana sales.

The referendum going to voters says adult use would apply to anyone 21 and older. No language in the referendum limits adult use to tribal members.

Edwards warns of “drug tourism”

In his opinion piece, Edwards called the referendum “harmful.”

Congress can’t stop the vote, he said. “But I am appealing to tribal members to vote against it,” Edwards wrote.

“It is important that the tribe understands they will be voting on a measure that, if enacted, could soon be very costly,” in terms of loss of federal funding, he said.

If the Sept. 7 measure passes, Edwards added, “people from all over the state and the surrounding areas will be driving to Cherokee and likely the EBCI’s other non-contiguous tribal lands to buy it, light up and party.”

“It also means many would be leaving the reservation and hitting the road high,” he said.

“There is also the very real possibility of ‘drug tourism,’ where bad actors will capitalize on the influx of partying travelers to western North Carolina and offer other types of illicit, hard drugs for sale, and the criminal activity that would inevitably follow,” Edwards wrote.

“This could strain our resources to a breaking point, as local law enforcement would stop enforcing marijuana laws, which is what we’ve observed in several U.S. cities,” according to Edwards.

He also noted the tribe’s other Western North Carolina landholdings.

“Given the shoot-first-ask-questions-later wording of the tribe’s question in the ballot, what would prevent enacting legislation that would allow marijuana dispensaries to open on tribal lands in Graham, Swain, and other WNC counties?” he asked.

“Major political blunder,” chief says

Sneed was responding to a letter in the newspaper Wednesday from the Democratic Party chairs in Swain, Jackson, Cherokee and Transylvania counties.

”Rep. Edwards’ strategy reeks of the same paternalism we have seen throughout the history of federal dealings with tribal governments,” the party leaders wrote. “This is not the action of a friend with a disagreement, it is patronizing and coercive. Rep. Edwards offers false friendship.

“... A real friend would know that the United States of America owes a debt to the Cherokee, and making good on that debt is not dependent on disagreements over marijuana policy,” the party leaders said.

Sneed thanked them for their comments.

“Delusion of grandeur,” opponent says

Chris Suttle, a Chapel Hill-based cannabis consultant, fired back at Edwards in an Aug 28 commentary in Cherokee One Feather. He called Edwards’ comments “problematic and uninformed.”

“Let him and his compatriots march to Washington to create the Stop the Pot Act,” Suttle wrote. “I would rather support those on a state level willing to bring light to those who have been dying in the dark by giving them access to an all-natural proven solution to numerous medical conditions.”

On Thursday, Suttle told the Observer that Edwards “is experiencing a momentary delusion of grandeur.”