As approved, the referendum legalizes possession and use of cannabis by anyone 21 and older. Tribal lands, home to Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, are an important cultural and tourism destination in the Great Smoky Mountains.
“One of the great legacies of the Eastern Cherokee Nation is leadership, being able to set precedents, being very adaptive and very strategic and visionary. And I think this is another example of that.”
US Congressman Chuck Edwards plans to use the Federal Government to punish the Cherokee Tribal Government for their decision.
While the U.S. legally cannot block the tribe from passing its own laws around marijuana, Edwards threatened to cut federal funding from the tribe if legalization proceeds. He said he will “soon be introducing” legislation in Congress called the Stop Pot Act, which would “defund governments that ignore federal law.”
“It is important that the tribe understands they will be voting on a measure that, if enacted, could soon be very costly,” Edwards wrote. However he said he intends to pursue the Stop Pot Act regardless of whether the EBCI referendum passes.