Robert Odawi Porter, was one of the organizers of the first-ever Tribal Marijuana Conference, which was held on the Tulalip Reservation in Washington on February 27, 2015. Photo by Chris Stearns / Twitter
Tribes across the nation are looking to join the marijuana industry. Robert Odawi Porter, an attorney and former president of the Seneca Nation of New York, has been providing guidance to tribes as they develop their own laws and regulations for the drug. He said most are looking and medicinal uses for marijuana. "I don't see many leaders talk about adult recreational use at this time," Porter, who believes tribes will start their own operations within the next year, told WGRZ. Medical marijuana is legal in nearly two dozen states, including California, the most populous. But legal, policy and jurisdictional issues are still being fleshed out, as evidenced by a potential showdown between the Pinoleville Pomo Nation and local authorities over the number of plants that can be grown on the reservation. Other states are taking a different approach. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) signed House Bill 2000 into law last month to authorize marijuana agreements with tribes. Porter and other prominent leaders are also blazing the trail. Tex Hall, a former president of the National Congress of American Indians, has launched a cannabis company and Robert Shepherd, the former chairman of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, is a tribal liaison for a marijuana development firm. Linda Amelia-Chappabitty, a member of the Chinook Nation of Washington, is serving as tribal liaison for the National Cannabis Summit. She's encouraging tribes to attend the event, which takes place in October in Denver, Colorado. "We recognize that tribes looking to establish themselves within the cannabis industry face a long road ahead with both proper education and being inserted into new networks," Amelia-Chappabitty said in an e-mail. "To solve this issue, at this year's event we have decided that one of our education tracks need to be centered around tribal issues pertaining to the industry." Marijuana remains illegal under federal law. But a new Department of Justice policy could open the door to tribes that want to legalize the drug. Get the Story:
Tribes Exploring Marijuana Industry (WGRZ 6/11) Relevant Documents:
Department of Justice Policy Statement Regarding Marijuana Issues in Indian Country (October 2014)
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