Cannabis on tribal land.....

MinnBobber

Well-Known Member
WASHINGTON — Opening the door for what could be a lucrative and controversial new industry on some Native American reservations, the Justice Department on Thursday will tell U.S. attorneys to not prevent tribes from growing or selling marijuana on the sovereign lands, even in states that ban the practice.

Vaping lounge at the casinos???
 
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His_Highness

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Oh please, please, please.....if this is a dream DON'T WAKE ME.

I'm drooling over the possibility that even though my state failed at getting medical passed I might be able to drive to the reservation, play a few hands of blackjack and before leaving stock up on some much needed supplies!

To be sure .... the sequence would have to be play blackjack first, bake second or the cost could easily double :doh:
 

Kief

Medicated
So you don't have to go searching for it...

U.S. won't stop Native Americans from growing, selling pot on their lands
TIMOTHY M. PHELPScontact the reporter

December 11, 2014, 3:00 AM

Opening the door for what could be a lucrative and controversial new industry on some Native American reservations, the Justice Department on Thursday will tell U.S. attorneys to not prevent tribes from growing or selling marijuana on the sovereign lands, even in states that ban the practice.

The new guidance, released in a memorandum, will be implemented on a case-by-case basis and tribes must still follow federal guidelines, said Timothy Purdon, the U.S. attorney for North Dakota and the chairman of the Attorney General's Subcommittee on Native American Issues.

It remains to be seen how many reservations will take advantage of the policy. Many tribes are opposed to legalizing pot on their lands, and federal officials will continue to enforce the law in those areas, if requested.

Southern California is home to nearly 30 federal- and state-recognized Indian tribes, with a total population of nearly 200,000, according to state estimates. The largest tribes operate profitable casinos and outlet malls, including those by the Morongo, Cabazon, San Manuel and Pechanga tribes.

Representatives for several of the largest tribes could not be reached for comment.

The policy comes on the heels of the 2013 Justice Department decision to stop most federal marijuana prosecutions in states that have legalized the possession or sale of pot. Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska and the District of Columbia have all moved to legalize the drug, though the D.C. law may be scaled back by Congress.

Some tribes see marijuana sales as a potential source of revenue, similar to cigarette sales and casino gambling, which have brought a financial boon to reservations across the country. Others, including the Yakama Reservation in Washington state, remain strongly opposed to the sale or use of marijuana on their lands.

Purdon said in an interview that the majority of Native American tribes, mindful of the painful legacy of alcohol abuse in their communities, appear to be against allowing marijuana use on their territory.

The federal government will continue to legally support those tribes that wish to ban marijuana, even in states that now permit its sale, Purdon said.

But the Justice Department will generally not attempt to enforce federal marijuana laws on federally recognized tribes that choose to allow it, as long as they meet eight federal guidelines, including that marijuana not be sold to minors and not be transported to areas that prohibit it.

"The tribes have the sovereign right to set the code on their reservations," Purdon said.

John Walsh, the U.S. attorney for Colorado, said a primary purpose of the memorandum to be released Thursday is to assure U.S. attorney offices and tribes that despite the changes in Justice Department policy announced last year, federal prosecutors still have the authority to prosecute marijuana felonies on tribal lands.

In many cases, federal prosecutors are the only ones permitted by law to prosecute marijuana felonies on tribal lands.

Walsh said that the new memorandum, like the one issued for states last year, emphasizes that states or reservations must have "robust and effective regulatory systems in place" and that federal prosecutors reserve the right to take broader enforcement actions.

The policy is likely to be criticized in states opposed to marijuana sales, particularly those with Native American reservations.

Kevin A. Sabet, an opponent of marijuana legalization and former advisor on drug issues to President Obama, called the policy an "extremely troubling development."

"It once again sends a message that we really don't care about federal drug laws," he said.

Sabet, director of the Drug Policy Institute at the University of Florida, said, "Native Americans and their families suffer disproportionately from addiction compared to other groups. The last thing they want is another commercialized industry that targets them for greater use."

tim.phelps@latimes.com

Times staff writer Hugo Martin in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

From: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-marijuana-indians-20141211-story.html

More here: http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/p...vernment_interference_according_to_report.php
 

randybishop

Well-Known Member
Oh please, please, please.....if this is a dream DON'T WAKE ME.

I'm drooling over the possibility that even though my state failed at getting medical passed I might be able to drive to the reservation, play a few hands of blackjack and before leaving stock up on some much needed supplies!

To be sure .... the sequence would have to be play blackjack first, bake second or the cost could easily double :doh:

Oh yes! This is my plan too. In the south, this is our only hope!!
 

MinnBobber

Well-Known Member
Thanks Kief.
I had the article up but couldn't copy link.

My wife is the casino person in our family.
Build a vape lounge (or sell the sacred herb) and I'll be there too.

Plus, no tax load like the heavy CO tax and WA tax.
But the casinos here have no gas tax ( 30 cents) but only sell
for a nickel less than non-tribal stations---
Still, this could be very interesting
 

His_Highness

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Plus, no tax load like the heavy CO tax and WA tax.
But the casinos here have no gas tax ( 30 cents) but only sell
for a nickel less than non-tribal stations---
Still, this could be very interesting

AND possibly no tax!?!?! :bowdown::love::drool:

I was wondering if the native american genetic predisposition to alcoholism might come into play. Was mentioned in the article. I don't think it should ...... but having spent some time in heavily populated native american areas I have seen it first hand and its one of the saddest things I've ever seen.

Found another article: (It's really tough not to comment on the Indian name of one of the detractors below but I am going to take the high road on that one ... no pun intended)
Only three tribes in California, Washington state and in the Midwest have only expressed interest in selling the drug, Marshall said. It is unclear if it will really take off the way casinos did.

One South Dakota tribe rejected a proposal to allow marijuana.

Oglala Sioux tribal Councilwoman Ellen Fills the Pipe, chairwoman of the council's Law and Order Committee, said Thursday she needs to review the federal policy more thoroughly but that given her long background in law enforcement, she opposes loosening marijuana laws.

"For me, it's a drug," Fills the Pipe said. "My gut feeling is we're most likely going to shoot it down."

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/12/1...d=maing-grid7|main5|dl8|sec3_lnk3&pLid=580624
 
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randybishop

Well-Known Member
AND possibly no tax!?!?! :bowdown::love::drool:

I was wondering if the native american genetic predisposition to alcoholism might come into play. Was mentioned in the article. I don't think it should ...... but having spent some time in heavily populated native american areas I have seen it first hand and its one of the saddest things I've ever seen.

Found another article: (It's really tough not to comment on the Indian name of one of the detractors below but I am going to take the high road on that one ... no pun intended)
Only three tribes in California, Washington state and in the Midwest have only expressed interest in selling the drug, Marshall said. It is unclear if it will really take off the way casinos did.

One South Dakota tribe rejected a proposal to allow marijuana.

Oglala Sioux tribal Councilwoman Ellen Fills the Pipe, chairwoman of the council's Law and Order Committee, said Thursday she needs to review the federal policy more thoroughly but that given her long background in law enforcement, she opposes loosening marijuana laws.

"For me, it's a drug," Fills the Pipe said. "My gut feeling is we're most likely going to shoot it down."

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/12/12/native-americans-allowed-to-sell-grow-marijuana-doj-says/?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl8|sec3_lnk3&pLid=580624

Do Native American casinos NOT serve alcohol? I've never been to a casino, so I don't know.
If they do serve alcohol, then I can't see the objection to adding marijuana.

P.S. Oglala Sioux tribal Councilwoman Ellen Fills the Pipe
Ha! :lol:
 

macbill

Oh No! Mr macbill!!
Staff member
LA Times Opinion:

How legalizing marijuana on Indian reservations could end the prohibition on pot
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opin...juana-indian-reservations-20141212-story.html

Many of the reservations I've gone to prohibit alcohol, and I remember that some tribes in WA were against MJ legalization because of the burden they see it to be to the Native Nation. I don't know if Indian casinos serve booze. I'm pretty sure they do in Palm Springs.
 
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gangababa

Well-Known Member
Recent reporting:
More Than 100 Native American Tribes Consider Growing Marijuana (link)
"Brautman, along with the Denver-based United Cannabis Corp., recently inked a contract to build a giant medical marijuana growing operation on the Pinoleville Pomo Nation's ranch in Northern California. The $10 million, 2.5-acre facility will include spaces for cultivating, processing and selling products under the United Cannabis brand. Brautman said the operation plans to hire 50 to 100 employees, with preference to tribe members."
 

randybishop

Well-Known Member
New articles on this issue are not sounding hopeful for non-legal states :( :


Not every tribe may be able to get into the game, either. At the time of the announcement, the U.S. attorney in Oklahoma City said he had a different interpretation of the memo than what had been reported in some media outlets. He thinks pot will only be permitted in states where marijuana is already legal.


Hilary Bricken, a cannabis-industry lawyer who is helping organize a February meeting for tribes to discuss pot, said that whether a tribe can proceed with legalization may depend on the views of the U.S. attorney in their state.


“It’s not a green light,” she said. “The feds are going to have to approve these things before they go forward.”

Read more
 

His_Highness

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
I hope this doesn't get bogged down in interpretive minutia.... It would be great to play a few hands of blackjack, get/vape a little herb, have a few drinks and dinner .... all on the res....
 

gangababa

Well-Known Member
Raw Story reports, "An Alabama native American tribe that operates casinos in Florida informed the state that if it doesn’t allow them to expand their casinos, they will have no choice but to start growing marijuana on the land designated for the expansion,..." an Orlando Sentinel Associated Press reports."

"Rejecting a deal with the tribe could spark a lawsuit. It could also prompt the tribe to consider its options, such as whether to sell marijuana on its Florida property. The U.S. Department of Justice in December said tribes could grow and sell marijuana on their lands, as long as they follow the same federal conditions laid out for states that have legalized the drug."
 

His_Highness

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Raw Story reports, "An Alabama native American tribe that operates casinos in Florida informed the state that if it doesn’t allow them to expand their casinos, they will have no choice but to start growing marijuana on the land designated for the expansion,..." an Orlando Sentinel Associated Press reports."

"Rejecting a deal with the tribe could spark a lawsuit. It could also prompt the tribe to consider its options, such as whether to sell marijuana on its Florida property. The U.S. Department of Justice in December said tribes could grow and sell marijuana on their lands, as long as they follow the same federal conditions laid out for states that have legalized the drug."

Thanks Gangab....Made me so happy it brought a small tear to my eye...and that brought back memories of that old commercial where the native american has a tear in his eye over the state of our environment .... making MJ available in Florida would make me smile and I hope do the same for the native americans profiting from it.
 
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