The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians has officially approved a proposal to legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older on tribal land.
Referendum No. 2025-01 was given given approval this evening with 55% in support. The measure calls for the possession, cultivation, and distribution of marijuana to be legalized within the tribe’s jurisdiction. It also calls for the authorization of sales to all adults of legal age—tribal members and non-members alike—as long as the activity takes place on tribal land.
The move mirrors a similar decision by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, whose territory in North Carolina became the state’s first legal market when sales began for adults 21+ in September.
The referendum outlines a general framework for licensing and regulating marijuana businesses. Tribal leaders say they will now begin finalizing specific rules and regulations to oversee the new market and intend to move swiftly with implementation.
Only enrolled members of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians were eligible to vote in the special election. The tribe, Mississippi’s only federally recognized one, controls roughly 35,000 acres across ten counties in the eastern part of the state.
