On the morning of Saturday, April 20, 2024, Myrtle Driver, a “Beloved Woman” of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI or Tribe), became the first individual to purchase medical marijuana on the Qualla Indian Boundary (QIB), commonly known as the reservation of the EBCI. Ms. Driver lent a significance to the occasion, as she is an influential, native Cherokee speaker. This cash sale was the culmination of a two-year journey for the Tribe, which has now emerged as a major player in the Native cannabis industry. Earlier that week, I was privileged to enjoy a behind the scenes look at the Tribe’s new dispensary, the Great Smoky Cannabis Company, and the substantial grow operation that supports it.
Once you enter the QIB the street signs and other traffic signs contain Cherokee language as well as English. It’s an extremely rural area, not the place one would expect an industrial farming operation. At the corner of Goose Creek and Cooper’s Creek, lies an obvious farmstead, but this one is protected all around by razor wire.
Inside are multiple, huge greenhouses, containing the largest cannabis cultivation operation on the east coast. Row after row of cannabis plants germinate to maturity in this setting, both in outdoor greenhouses and indoor grow rooms. Seedlings sprout in a soil made primarily of crushed coconut husks and individually drip irrigated. As they develop, they are moved to the ideal setting for maximizing their potential blooms and effects.
Once harvested, the plants are taken to a drying facility, where they are hung upside down for days at a time. The fanciest flowers are removed for direct sale and the other parts are processed in various ways to create various products.
A rigorous regulatory framework ensures that the process is audited regularly, “to the gram,” according to Forrest Parker, the General Manager of Qualla Enterprises, LLC. Indeed, Mr. Parker indicates that the operation is the largest vertical grow operation, “seed to sale,” in the country.
The sales occur at the Tribe’s dispensary, located in the former bingo hall and comprising what Mr. Parker says is “the largest retail center in the world.” The design elements of the dispensary are based upon other Native American cannabis projects, including the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony dispensary. Customers can peruse showcases filled with products and consult with knowledgeable sales associates. They can also observe as highly trained chefs create organic, “pharmaceutical grade” sweets and treats, including: gummies, hard candies, baked goods, and even sexual aids.
Ms. Driver paid in cash because the dispensary is a cash only operation as the commercial banking industry has not yet caught up to the modern cannabis industry, according to Mr. Parker. The Tribe has top of the line security protocols in place to be able to operate in this cash intensive environment. Proceeds are returned to the Tribe for its general operating fund.
One look at this business model and it is apparent that cannabis is here to stay. Those of us dedicated to highway safety will need to move with more alacrity than the commercial financial industry to stay abreast of the coming trends.
