North Carolina’s first medical cannabis dispensary opened its doors on Saturday, April 20th at The Great Smoky Cannabis Dispensary in Cherokee. A ribbon cutting ceremony took place at 9:30 a.m. on the Qualla Boundary, with people from all over the mountains lining up eagerly to purchase the Eastern Band of Indians’ packaged cannabis products.
The Great Smoky Cannabis Dispensary offers a variety of products, including vape pens, pre-packaged buds, marijuana cigarettes, edibles, and gummies, all made locally with cannabis grown and processed at Cooper’s Creek Farm. Forrest Parker, the general manager of the Great Smoky Cannabis Company emphasized the company’s commitment to continuously improving the quality and safety of their products.
To access the dispensary, individuals must have a medical patient’s card issued by either their state or another tribe that has a reciprocal agreement with North Carolina. Additionally, individuals must be at least 21 years old to enter the dispensary and sign in.
The opening of this dispensary is a milestone for North Carolina’s history as it marks the first legal and regulated medical cannabis dispensary within its borders. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is proud to set an example for quality, health and safety in the cannabis industry while ongoing discussions about adult use cannabis take place within the tribe but for now focus remains on providing medical cannabis products to qualified patients only.
