The Navajo Nation is suing hemp and cannabis farmers in New Mexico to keep cannabis and hemp farms far away from their land and calling for neighbors to respect the fact that cannabis is illegal on Navajo territory.
Earlier this month, Navajo Nation leaders changed the community’s criminal code to make all parts of the cannabis plant illegal. The change also criminalized possession and distribution of cannabis to further limit exposure of cannabis on Navajo land. On October 28, the Navajo Nation Department of Justice announced the lawsuit against 33 different farmers in violation of this code.
“Despite legislation that clearly illegalizes hemp and marijuana on the Navajo Nation, many farmers have chosen to jeopardize their farms and the health of the community by growing and producing hemp and marijuana for personal gain,” Attorney General Doreen McPaul said in a press release. “These individuals have substantially injured the community and the nation, as a whole, by illegally drilling wells to water their hemp and marijuana plants, by illegally dumping and burying solid waste, by carelessly storing and applying hazardous pesticides on their lands, and installing ill-constructed septic tanks that are leaking sewage into our lands and groundwater.”
Previously, the Navajo Nation had already filed a lawsuit regarding hemp facilities that it felt was disrespecting the nation’s land and values. The tribal court issued a restraining order against nine farmers in September. “The ruling allows our law enforcement officers to enforce the temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to stop the production of hemp,” Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez told Farmington Daily Times. “We strongly urge everyone to respect the ruling of the court and move forward peacefully to ensure the safety of community members, police officers, and everyone in the impacted areas.”
