A slide presentation by attorney Salvador Mungia at the Tribal Marijuana Conference last week said marijuana was the second-largest crop in Washington. Photo by Galanda Broadman / Twitter

Henry Cagey, a council member and former chair of the Lummi Nation of Washington, is moving forward with the Tribal Leaders Cannabis Association after meeting with some of his counterparts last week.

Cagey plans to formally establish the group next week. His meeting will take place March 12, after the conclusion of the Reservation Economic Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“At our first meeting of tribal leaders last week, we realized that there is much work to be done in the realm of tribal marijuana law. Leadership in Indian Country will best benefit from the efforts of a national association and collective action to further our interests and ensure sovereign protections,” Cagey said in a press release.

Cagey first discussed the TLCA with about 20 tribal leaders on Saturday, a day after the first-ever Tribal Marijuana Conference. Both events were held at the Tulalip Resort Casino, owned by the Tulalip Tribes of Washington.

The group will explore how tribes can work together to address marijuana development in their sovereign tribal territories, Cagey said. Priorities include priorities setting policy on medicinal or recreational usage, ddeveloping model tribal regulatory laws, defining protocols for tribal self-regulation and oversight and establishing formal consultation with federal and state officials.

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.

Relevant Documents:
Department of Justice Policy Statement Regarding Marijuana Issues in Indian Country (October 2014)

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