Tillis’s complaint, made during a recent Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, focused on two key allegations: that the tribe’s marketing tactics (such as pumpkin spice-flavored cannabis) target younger people, and that the nature of the business risks the illegal transportation of a controlled substance into surrounding states where it is illegal.
Economic and Social Impact
The Great Smoky Cannabis Company, which opened for full public recreational sales to adults 21 and older in September 2024, is the only legal cannabis retailer in North Carolina. The business is a significant new pillar of the area’s economy.
Job Creation: The cannabis venture provides new, regulated jobs for tribal members and local residents, enhancing the economic stability of the region.
Tourism: The dispensary acts as a potent new tourism draw for the Qualla Boundary, attracting customers from North Carolina and bordering states where cannabis is prohibited, thus bolstering the overall area economy.
Widespread Use: The product is purchased by adults for a variety of reasons, with many seeking relief for common conditions such as chronic pain, anxiety, and depression.
Legal Foundation and Strict Controls
The EBCI’s right to produce and sell cannabis is not a legal gray area; it is legally grounded in tribal sovereignty, which grants the federally recognized tribe authority to enact its own laws on its trust lands. The tribe has emphasized that its operation is highly regulated to prevent the very diversion and safety issues raised by critics.
To ensure compliance, the dispensary has established clear protocols:
Mandatory ID Checks: All customers must be 21 or older and present a valid, government-issued ID to make a purchase.
Exclusion of Minors: Minors are not allowed on the premises, a rule that extends to the drive-thru, where all vehicle occupants must present identification and minors are prohibited from being present during a transaction.
Compliance Record: Despite the high volume of sales over the past year, there are no publicly reported incidents of minors successfully purchasing cannabis directly from the dispensary, nor have there been reports of adults being charged with selling products purchased there to minors.
Political Backlash
Despite the regulated framework and economic success, Senator Tillis stated his concerns stem from what he called "unsafe and inconsistent practices" and the conflict between tribal law and state prohibition. He pointedly asked Attorney General Bondi whether transporting the product off the boundary would constitute the illegal transportation of a controlled substance—a question Bondi confirmed, underscoring the legal risk to customers once they leave EBCI land.
EBCI Principal Chief Michell Hicks swiftly countered the Senator’s push for a federal probe:
“Senator Thom Tillis knows full well that the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians operates squarely within the law. Yet once again, he has chosen to ignore that truth to advance his own political agenda,” Hicks said, asserting that the tribe’s operations are "fully compliant with federal and tribal law" and calling the suggestion that the EBCI would endanger children “offensive.”
Hicks linked Tillis’s actions to the tribe’s opposition to a recognition bill for the Lumbee Tribe, suggesting the controversy is rooted in a political agenda rather than a genuine safety failure.
WNCTimes
Image: Principal Chief Michell Hicks social media