The Great Smoky Cannabis Company in Cherokee, North Carolina—the only legal marijuana retailer in the state—has been open for nearly 150 days, generating millions in sales without any reported arrests.
The store, operated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), remains the state’s sole outlet where recreational marijuana can be legally purchased, as North Carolina has not legalized marijuana at the state level for recreational or medical purposes. The EBCI’s store is open to anyone 21 and older regardless of tribal or medical status.
Since launching in early September, the store has generated millions in sales. They offers a range of products, including flower, edibles, and concentrates, sourced from the tribe’s cultivation facility. Despite marijuana being illegal under state law, EBCI’s sovereign status allows the tribe to regulate cannabis sales on its land. Up to this point, there has not been a single reported marijuana possession arrest connected to marijuana purchased legally at the Great Smoky Cannabis Company, and no police checkpoints have been setup outside tribal land as some feared.
While the store has operated without interference, North Carolina lawmakers have yet to advance any legislation that would allow statewide marijuana sales, leaving the Qualla Boundary as the only location where adults can legally purchase marijuana, a status it is likely to hold for the foreseeable future, especially given that leaders from other tribes in the state have told us that they have no immediate plans to follow suit.
The tribe’s success with legalization may have had an impact on U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), who previously opposed any type of marijuana reform but now says the federal government should legalize marijuana and regulate it like tobacco and alcohol.
