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Native Americans Remain Successful With Cannabis

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The cannabis industry has seen advocates and business people from all walks of life—no one is excluded from the success that being involved with cannabis can bring. The Native American tribes of our country are one of many groups of people who have discovered how cannabis can benefit them.

The allowance of tribes being allowed to begin cannabis businesses is thanks to the 2014 Cole Memorandum, which allows cannabis cultivation for tribes under some restrictions. Although it stated that cannabis cultivation was not allowed on public land, it was later amended to allow Native American Tribes to cultivate, process and sell cannabis.

There are 326 recognized Native American nations in the U.S., and here are just a few of the noteworthy Native American tribes that are making waves in the cannabis industry.

Ely Shoshone and Yerington Paiute Tribes in Nevada

Assisted by Tribal Cannabis Consulting (TCC), the Ely Shoshone and Yerington Paiute Tribes established a compact that was signed under Senate Bill 375 by Gov. Brian Sandoval on June 2, 2017. This particular bill allows all tribes of Nevada to work with the TCC to make their own tribal compacts enacting cannabis cultivation and/or sales on their land.

Suquamish Tribe in Washington

Gov. Jay Inslee, the Washington State Liquor and Control Board and the Suquamish Tribe signed a compact on September 14, 2015. The compact, which lasts for 10 years, gives the tribe the ability to produce, process and sell cannabis on tribal land in Kitsap County. Details of cannabis taxes were also established, with the state excise tax being applied to customers who are not a part of the tribe.

Confederated Warm Springs Tribe in Oregon

Members of this particular tribe agreed to begin cultivating, processing and cannabis sales on December 18, 2015. Soon thereafter the tribe broke ground on its plans for a facility on the reservation, which delivers to three off-reservation stores. At the time, the tribe estimated more than 80 jobs would be created by the opening of the facility.

Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel in Southern California

The casino gaming industry wasn’t very lucrative for the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, which closed in 2014. In spring of 2017, the tribe decided to turn its defunct casino into a cultivation facility. According to the Las Vegas Sun, the tribe has “six cultivators, one testing lab and one distillation facility.”

Even though many tribes like the ones listed above have been able to successful grow their cannabis businesses, not all have been so lucky. There are many more negative stories that have come up over the years. Tales of tribal cannabis cultivation sites being raided, or worse being forced to burn their crops in fear of federal consequences. However, like the rest of the country, there is much hope that the future holds the promise of success in the cannabis industry without consequences.

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