Some of the biggest Native American owned dispensaries in the U.S. are finally opening up. The first one will start up near Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut, and the second one will be near Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in North Carolina.
Connecticut just legalized recreational use of cannabis for all adults 21 years of age or older at the beginning of last month. The state is shooting to have state-licensed stores open by the summer of 2022.
On the other hand, cannabis isn’t even legal in North Carolina yet. However, with the North Carolina Compassionate Care Act (a bill to legalize cannabis), has been making progress in the state legislature.
Image via @harrahscherokee on Instagram
Native American owned vs. U.S. licensed dispensaries
The Native American tribes and their territories do not function under state law and don’t need state cannabis licenses. Tribes typically tax cannabis at a rate comparable to the legal state they are in. The difference is that it stays within the tribe versus going to the state. Additionally, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council voted to legalize medical cannabis on Cherokee land, which is spread across Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama.
There should be no issue opening up a dispensary in Connecticut because the state is now legal. However, opening up a Native American owned shop in states like North Carolina would be a bold and possibly controversial move.
Furthermore, there is no verification of whether or not the shop will wait for medical legalization to be approved in the state. According to an anonymous source, both facilities are being planned at a mega-dispensary scale. The footprints surpass 25,000 square feet. They will both have drive-thru windows and a smoking lounge.
Location, Location, Location
In North Carolina, the tribe has plans to repurpose a giant bingo hall. It is located one mile north of Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. The bingo hall hasn’t been used since its closure back in March of 2020 due to COVID-19. A secondary choice would be the former site of Cherokee High School. This would put the dispensary two miles away from the actual casino resort.
Regardless of location, the plan for the Cherokee tribe is to build a dispensary that’s capable of accommodating several thousands of daily shoppers. Once development can start on a chosen location, they plan to start publicizing the new dispensary during the upcoming months.
In Connecticut, the Mashantucket Pequot tribal nation controls Foxwoods Resort Casino on their 1,250-acre reservation. The plans are to have the dispensary less than half a mile away from the casino. This would add to the list of activities already available on the Native American reservation. Visitors would be able to enjoy an edible and then go have dinner and a movie. The dispensary could open as soon as next spring!
Diversifying sources of income
Just prior to COVID, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to start allowing states to legalize sports betting. This created more competition for Native American tribes that have relied on that for decades as a solid form of income. With cannabis sales in the U.S. reaching $18.5 billion in sales last year, Native American tribes have found an opportunity to diversify their steady flows of income.
