Sesh by Sherlocks has grown to North Carolina’s top destination for THCA flower after beginning as a glass museum.

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Following the first anniversary of Hurricane Helene, I found myself driving the same winding backroads I did last October, retracing the path of destruction with a different kind of weight in my chest. What once looked like chaos, the downed trees, caved-in roofs, and mangled bridges, has now settled into a strange stillness. But for those of us in Appalachia’s creative underground, the storm never really left. It just changed form.

Helene didn’t only knock out power or flood valleys. It shattered spaces that had taken years, sometimes lifetimes, to build. It interrupted lives mid-movement, mid-breath, mid-bead of molten glass. But what’s stayed with me most is not just the devastation, but the way the glassblowing community here rallied quietly, fiercely, and without waiting for permission.

This isn’t a sad story about loss; it’s a story about what happens after.

The Heart of the Flame

Walking into Level 42 Gallery in Asheville, North Carolina felt like stepping inside a living organism. Torches roaring, color rods stacked like firewood, artists moving through the space like a practiced dance. Built by best friends Yuri Federmen and Ben Ross, Level 42 wasn’t just one of the largest flame-working studios in the country; it became the beating heart of the Western North Carolina glass scene.

Level 42 had 28 torch stations and over 20 working artists at their peak, all together under one roof. The goal was to create a hub for everyone with retail, wholesale, and studio space combined. They intentionally built the structure a foot above the historic 2004 flood line… but it wasn’t enough.

When Helene hit, the river rose fast. They moved what they could to the second floor, thinking it would be safe. But one of the walls on the first floor completely gave out. Glass was ripped from shelves and showcases, buried in mud and debris. Yuri was remembering the events from last year and digging through it all afterward—pulling $50,000 pieces out of the rubble and mud and salvaging maybe half. No lives were lost, and that’s something to be endlessly grateful for, but the emotional cost? That’s harder to quantify.

Insurance wouldn’t cover flood damage. FEMA handed out a flat $750, just like everyone else received. The rest? Came from the community—GoFundMe, benefit auctions, private donations, and sheer will.

Yuri went back to what remained of the gallery on the one-year anniversary and sat quietly, just taking it in. Not mourning, exactly. Remembering. Honoring. “We don’t want people to only think of the sadness,” he told me. “This place was filled with joy, with laughter, with fire. That’s what we want to hold on to.”

They’ve kept the dream alive through live demos at festivals like Secret Dreams and are still hoping to put on their third Marbles in the Mountains soon. Online drops, private appointments—it’s not what it was, but it’s something. The gallery may have been lost, but the sense of community remained.

Between the Bees and the Bongs in High Country

In the days after the storm, one of the first people I saw actively organizing aid in the High Country was Brandon Simmons, better known as Blue Soldier Art. But Brandon’s more than just a glass artist. He’s a third-generation farmer, professional beekeeper, and an independent researcher focused on genetic preservation. His studio took on a few inches of water, but that was the least of it.

He lost 60% of his bee colonies, about 400 hives, after some drowned when Helene ripped the lids off. The mold, the cleanup, the sheer trauma of it all brought everything to a halt. With limited time and resources, he faced a choice: “Bongs or bees,” he told me. “And I chose bees.”

Friends and fellow beekeepers of Brandon’s lost their lives in Buncombe County during the storm. Instead of pushing drops, Brandon instinctively rallied with others in the community and loaded up ~10,000 pounds of apples and over a thousand pounds of pet food and drove them up the mountains to communities that had been completely cut off—places like Sparta, Lansing, and parts of Boone.

“It was humbling,” he said. “Seeing the death and despair… but then seeing the love. Seeing people show up.” The experience shook him so deeply it changed how he approached his art and his life. “It became more about creating things that reflect more in my soul. Not just making stuff for money. But creating because I’m still here to create.”

In Appalachia, we’re generationally used to holding grief in one hand and beauty in the other. We don’t have the luxury of choosing just one. Brandon Simmons is prevailing and back to blowing glass again while still taking care of the bees.

Lack of Oxygen in the Land of Sky

Kevin, who works under the name Karma Glass, was lying in bed with his family when he heard a loud bang, saw the sky above him, and realized a tree had fallen through his roof in the middle of the storm’s wrath directly above everyone important to him. He ran out in the middle of the rain and wind to mitigate what damage he could and to check on his neighbors. For days his neighbors checked on one another and once Kevin knew everyone was safe, he went back to the torch. Or, he tried to.

Most people don’t realize that when a state of emergency is declared, oxygen suppliers are required to prioritize hospitals and emergency responders. That meant for glassblowers, oxygen suddenly became gold. Kevin had just 3/4 of a tank left, which gave him about six days of work. After that, he was shut down for weeks unless he went somewhere else.

Welders, blowers—anyone who relied on that supply chain—were out of luck, even if their studios survived the storm. It took local suppliers nearly five weeks to finally have spare oxygen for non-emergency buyers. Kevin almost canceled his show, worried he couldn’t pull it off. 

He even spent time digging through Level 42, where he hosted his first show, keeping himself busy with as much positive energy as one can in such an unexpectedly dire situation. But thankfully, friends and fellow glass artists Banjo and Salt Glass offered to host him and his show in Arkansas, and the community came through for Kevin again.

Instead of falling into despair, Kevin lit everything back up. 2025 turned out to be one of his best years yet. He focused on collaborations and on keeping his tribe’s spirits up, because art is sometimes all we have.

What We Carry Forward

Appalachia has never relied on outsiders to save it. We’ve been burned, flooded, stripped, and sold out for generations. And yet we’re still here. Still blowing glass. Still feeding bees. Still keeping the vibes high.

When I think about Level 42, I don’t think about the mud or the broken walls, I think about the creative space they provide for our community. When I think about Brandon Blue Soldier Art, I picture him buzzing amongst the new generations of bees. When I think about Kevin Karma Glass, I hear the torch flick on, defiant, steady.

We lost a lot in Hurricane Helene and some things can’t be rebuilt. But what did survive might just become stronger than ever. We are not what we lost. We are what we kept.

And we’re just getting started again.

This article is from an external, unpaid contributor. It does not represent High Times’ reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.

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On June 12, the North Carolina House Judiciary Committee discussed House Bill 563, which would implement a new law banning the sale of hemp-derived consumables to anyone under 17 years of age (unless consent is offered by a parent or guardian).

One of the bill’s primary sponsors, Rep. Jeff McNeely, told the committee how his bill has progressed since he first introduced it. “When I started naively, I thought I just wanted to make sure that a 10-year-old kid can’t walk into a smoke shop and buy some of these products,” McNeely said. Now the bill spans 17 pages, with numerous inclusions to regulate hemp-derived products for youth. “Research is suggesting that around three-fourths of our youth are finding their way to marijuana by ways of these type products that are in smoke shops and convenience stores,” he added.

According to NC News Line, if passed the bill would require that both manufacturers and distributors would be required to apply for a state license in order to start selling by July 1. Lab testing would also be required under the bill. More restrictions would implement a ban on edibles that are shaped similarly to animals or cartoon characters. It would also require manufacturers to create child-proof packaging and a label with information about included ingredients and allergens. Additionally, a warning label would be required to inform the consumer that they shouldn’t drive or operate heavy machinery while consuming.

North Carolina Retail Merchants Association senior director, Elizabeth Robinson, expressed support on behalf of her association. “We appreciate the framework for legitimate businesses to continue to operate responsibly and at the same time regulate those bad actors that, as he said, unfortunately have some of these products getting in the hands of our youth,” Robinson said.

Recently, the bill was amended on June 12 as well, which would require that both public and charter schools write policies that ban both tobacco and hemp-derived consumables from being present on school campuses or any related events.

This bill has developed in part because of the rise in youth gaining access to psychoactive cannabis consumables. In December 2023, seven middle school kids were taken to the hospital due to consuming an infused rice krispy treat. Two other students were arrested for supplying THC-infused edibles along with psilocybin mushrooms, which was later confirmed to be a “planned” activity by the group of kids.

McNeely answered questions at the most recent hearing from other representatives such as Rep. Marcia Morey. “Are the penalties consistent with what it is for small amounts of marijuana?” Morey inquired.

“No ma’am, they’re really not,” McNeely said in response. “I kind of look at this product like non-alcoholic beer. If it’s made right, there’s really nothing there that’s criminal or wrong. It’s when it’s not made right that we have our issue.”

McNeely is pushing for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture to take up responsibility for proper testing. “Department of Ag says they don’t have the abilities, the time, the people to be able to do this,” McNeely said. “So, the only way I knew to rope this in for a smaller amount of money was to put harsh enforcement on the backside, hoping that the players in the game will play by the rules and clean up whatever it’s not doing right.”

Rep. David Willis also asked McNeely about how the testing process works and who would pay for it. Currently, the manufacturer of the cannabis product would test the products before it can be distributed. After that, it is the responsibility of the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE).

McNeely added that the bill would give $500,000 to ALE in order to cover the testing costs. Willis also asked if there was a way to have the cannabis industry pay for that instead of taxpayers, which McNeely confirmed is a hopeful outcome. “We’re hoping that the industry will end up being able to fund these agents and the sampling, and all once this bill gets going,” McNeely explained. “But we had to have some start money to get it going.”

ALE will publish its first annual report to the General Assembly starting in January 2025, which will include “enforcement efforts,” according to NC News Line.

If passed, HB-563 would take effect starting in July 2024. “I understand that there’s stuff in the pipeline. We’re not asking anybody to go just rip everything off the shelf,” McNeely said. “We’re giving them time to do that.” The bill will be considered by the House Appropriations committee next.

While North Carolina legislators are working toward protecting children from hemp-derived consumables, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) recently opened the state’s first medical cannabis dispensary in April. Medical cannabis is currently not legalized in North Carolina otherwise, but EBCI now allows medical cannabis cardholders to purchase medical cannabis on tribal land.

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North Carolina-based Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) will officially be opening its cannabis dispensary on tribal land, effective as of April 20. This will also mark the opening of North Carolina’s first dispensary, since state legislators have not legalized medical cannabis.

The EBCI tribe lies on 57,000 acres, called the Qualla Boundary. According to a press release published on March 25 by Qualla Enterprises, LLC, the company clarified that only medical cannabis patients will be able to purchase from the dispensary, called Great Smoky Cannabis Company. “With a commitment to quality, compassion, and education, Great Smoky Cannabis Co. aims to provide patients with safe and regulated access to medicinal cannabis products,” Qualla Enterprises wrote. “The new dispensary will open with high-quality tested products—including flower, vape products, edibles, topicals, and more—carefully curated to meet the diverse needs of patients. Product selection will continue to grow and evolve each month.”

Only current medical cannabis cardholders (issued directly by the EBCI Cannabis Control Board) over 21 are permitted to purchase products once the dispensary opens. Qualla Enterprises added that out-of-state patients are welcome as well. “We will also extend reciprocity to individuals with out-of-state medical cards, or other tribal medical cannabis cards,” the press release stated. Medical cannabis card registration opened up in June 2023, and the first cards were issued starting in October 2023. At that time, 1,005 card applications were received, and the board had approved 817 of them.

Great Smoky Cannabis Company is opening in a building that was once a bingo hall, not far from Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. Currently, the product lineup includes dried flower, vape-related items, edibles, and topicals, although they plan to increase the selection over time.

The Charlotte Observer was invited for a private tour of the dispensary in March 2023. At the time, Qualla Enterprises said that the dispensary would only be accessible to EBCI tribe members with approved medical cannabis cards. Eventually, patients throughout North Carolina with medical cannabis cards will be invited to shop at the dispensary.

Qualla Enterprises’ early projections show that the Great Smoky Cannabis Company could collect up to $206 million in gross sales revenue during the first year of operation if they only limit sales to medical cannabis cardholders. If, or when, cannabis becomes available to adult-use consumers as well, the dispensary could collect an estimated $385 million.

Projections from HedgeRow Analysis state that by the dispensary’s fifth year of operation, it could collect $578 million from medical cannabis patients, or $843 million if adult-use consumers are allowed to purchase.

At a tribal council meeting, EBCI stated that approximately 1,400 people had applied for cannabis-related jobs (while only 350 openings were available at the time). Currently, the Great Smoky Cannabis Company only employs 69 people.

In September 2023, the EBCI passed an adult-use cannabis referendum. Qualla Enterprises told The Charlotte Observer more recently that once the dispensary opens on April 20, it will only be available to those who hold patient cards first. Sometime in the near future, the dispensary will open up sales to more adult-use consumers.

During that same month, the EBCI held a limited time three-hour open house, inviting tribe members to get a sneak peak of the dispensary. “It’s definitely surpassed what we were expecting,” said the dispensary’s plant health specialist, Jared Panther. “A lot of people are curious about what we’re doing, and a lot of people are coming out to show support for what we’re doing, what we love to do. We’re creating opportunity in a lot of ways.”

Quall Enterprises chairperson, Carolyn West (who attended the dispensary sneak peak last year with her dog, Mr. Daniels), was thrilled about the tribe’s movement into the cannabis industry. “Qualla Enterprises acknowledges the Cherokee core values of maintaining their strong connection with the land and honoring their past,” West told The Charlotte Observer.

She added the importance of honoring the Cherokee people’s use of cannabis as ancient medicine, and its inherent matrilineal society. “We have many females who work on the farm,” West explained. “They trim, they do production, they’re doing amazing work. I think they’re excited that we can possibly be making history, being the first tribe [and government] in North Carolina to legalize marijuana. And this product is safe, it’s tested, it’s going to be in child-proof containers, the safest means possible is what we’re doing here.”

The EBCI legalized medical cannabis cultivation, sales, and consumption in August 2021. At the time, former EBCI principal Chief, Richard Sneed, explained the importance of providing tribe access to medical cannabis to treat conditions like cancer or chronic pain. “The Council’s approval of a medical marijuana ordinance is a testament to the changing attitudes toward legal marijuana and a recognition of the growing body of evidence that supports cannabis as medicine, particularly for those with debilitating conditions like cancer and chronic pain,” Sneed said.

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Is it cool to use the smell of cannabis as probable cause to search a car? While most readers likely answer with a resounding “no,” just such a question is currently being hashed out, pun intended, by courts in North Carolina, a state that historically leans conservative. 

On Tuesday, the North Carolina Court of Appeals overturned a lower court’s ruling to exclude evidence gathered during a traffic stop. This decision comes amidst ongoing legal debates regarding whether the mere scent of cannabis alone constitutes enough grounds for police to conduct a search of a vehicle.

While hemp is legal in North Carolina, the Tar Heel state has not joined the legions of others in legalizing cannabis. But hemp’s legal status is at the crux of the case, bringing about the current legal debate. However, in 2021, North Carolina clocked in at third place for the highest level of cannabis arrests, the incident in question could be one of thousands.

On May 17, 2021, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop of Antonio Demont Springs, citing a suspicion regarding his vehicle’s license plate. The court document noted Springs’ apparent anxiety as the officer neared the vehicle, as evidenced by his trembling hands while handling over his paperwork.

The cop discovered that Springs was operating the vehicle with a revoked license, and further investigation revealed that the license plate was a fake. When questioned about the scent of cannabis, Springs denied having smoked in the car. “I just got the car from my homeboy,” Springs told the officer. “That’s probably why.”

The cop in question then asked Springs to get out of the vehicle. The officer opened a Crown Royal bag and found a digital scale, “a green leafy substance,” per the opinion, two baggies of white powder, and baggies of pills. Just reading about such a run-in with the law is enough to make one’s hands shake. 

Springs faced charges including possession of drug paraphernalia, drug trafficking, and intent to sell or distribute a controlled substance. He challenged the legality of the evidence obtained by the cop, arguing that there was no probable cause for the car and his Crown Royal bag search. Springs pointed out that in North Carolina, hemp is legal and cannot be visually or olfactorily distinguished from its euphoria-inducing marijuana relative. Therefore, he argued, the mere smell of marijuana alone should not be enough grounds for police to search vehicles in the state. 

Springs cited a memo from the State Bureau of Investigation, which clarifies that while industrial hemp and marijuana are the same plant species, as hemp typically does not contain enough THC to be psychoactive, not to mention, is legal, police should not be able to pull folks over for what may be deemed a suspicious smell alone. The memo highlights that the legalization of hemp presents challenges for law enforcement, as there is no straightforward method for police to differentiate between hemp and marijuana. Such a fact may be tricky for cops, but it’s a win for citizens and anyone interested in lowering the incarceration rate in North Carolina. 

The trial court sided with Springs. They concluded that since hemp is legal and has a similar odor to marijuana, the smell alone does not justify sufficient cause for a police vehicle search. 

But the Court of Appeals disagreed, writing: “This Court and our state Supreme Court have repeatedly held that the odor of marijuana alone provides probable cause to search the object or area that is the source of that odor,” wrote Judge Toby Hampson, a Democrat, joined by Judge Jefferson Griffin, a Republican. Hampson did note a Court of Appeals decision from 2021 that reads: “The legal issues raised by the recent legalization of hemp have yet to be analyzed by the appellate courts of this state.”

However, in Springs’ situation, unfortunately for him, the officer had multiple other factors indicating probable cause, such as his comment about his friend potentially having smoked weed in the car, not to mention the invalid license and a fake license plate. Hampson elaborated that the policeman was aware of other elements besides the smell, concluding that the trial court was mistaken in trying to suppress the evidence obtained from the search.

He also criticized the state’s attorneys for not adhering to the Rules of Appellate Procedure, as they failed to “provide any basis for appellate review” in their submission.

It’s one of many incidents that will undoubtedly continue to play out as the U.S. reckons with and reassess the ongoing and evolving cannabis laws. During September of last year, the State of Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed that cannabis odor doesn’t constitute enough probable cause alone to search a vehicle. However, in Wisconsin, the reverse ruling came in, as courts decided despite the legality of CBD, cannabis odor was enough to search a car.

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The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) is continuing its path toward cannabis accessibility, and as of last week the tribe officially issued its first medical cannabis cards.

According to EBCI Cannabis Control Board (CCB) executive director, Neil Denman, a Cherokee Police Commission monthly meeting was held on Oct. 12. In a presentation featuring Denman and his colleague, Kym Parker, they stated that the first medical cannabis card was issued on that day, and many more will follow in the coming weeks. A total of 1,005 medical cannabis card applications were submitted, and so far 817 were approved. Only 129 are labeled as incomplete, due to missing assets such as a photo ID, and 59 were denied because of “lack of a qualifying ailment.”

The EBCI live on a 57,000-acre reservation called the Qualla Boundary. The tribe’s website states that they have 14,000 registered tribe members, but the U.S. Census Bureau reports that the reservation is home to 9,600 people, 77% of whom are of Indian descent, and 23% non-Indian. The boundary is also home to two casinos that the tribe manages.

The topic of transporting cannabis to its dispensary was called into question by Vice Chairman Joseph Buddy Johnson. For this to happen, the cannabis products must be moved on a state highway through Swain County. According to Denman, they are coordinating with Swain County to put together a transportation plan.

The EBCI dispensary hasn’t opened yet, so the medical cannabis cards can’t be used. When the program becomes fully operational, the cards will limit how much daily and/or weekly cannabis that patients can purchase. Should a patient violate those rules, their card will be either suspended or revoked. The cards can also be used by off-boundary members who seek to grow their own cannabis plants at home.

Currently there are plans for only one cultivation site at the moment, which is still under construction. In total, the grow will feature 42 hoop houses that will hold 2,040 plants. Eventually, they hope to expand their hoop house number to 69-70. Johnson inquired about plans for a second cultivation site, but Denman explained that the first site is the focus for now.

Originally, the EBCI Tribal Council voted to decriminalize cannabis, as well as legalize medical cannabis back in 2021—a historic event considering that this was accomplished prior to the state of North Carolina making significant progress to legalize medical cannabis.

By November 2022, EBCI had harvested its first cannabis crop. “It’s a vertical market. We have to plant it. We have to cultivate it. We have to harvest it. We have to process it. We have to package it and move through all of that network of product and get it there. It’s a lot of people,” said Qualla Enterprises LLC general manager, Forrest Parker. One month later, the EBCI Tribal Council agreed to provide Qualla Enterprises with $63 million to properly regulate medical cannabis. “This tribe, I’m so proud of us for putting us in a position to learn from other people’s mistakes so that when we do this right, that number is precise,” Parker said. “It’s not $150 million because we’re trying to cover all these things that we don’t know. We actually feel like we actually know.”

In January 2023, the tribe announced that it would be moving forward with its plans to regulate medical cannabis on the reservation. The council voted to introduce their prepared regulations to the North Carolina General Assembly. Principal Chief Richard Sneed spoke at the meeting where the 12-person council approved the regulations, stating that it is of the utmost importance to keep the state legislature in the know. “All this is, is it as a matter of tribal law, before anybody does any work engaging with the state or federal legislature, we have to have permission of the governing legislative body to do so,” Sneed said.

In another record decision on Sept. 7, the EBCI tribe members voted in favor of a proposal to permit the sale of recreational cannabis on tribal land as well. “The Council’s approval of a medical marijuana ordinance is a testament to the changing attitudes toward legal marijuana and a recognition of the growing body of evidence that supports cannabis as medicine, particularly for those with debilitating conditions like cancer and chronic pain,” said Sneed. Now the council will move forward with developing legislation to regulate legal cannabis.

The Qualla Boundary is currently the only area of North Carolina where medical or recreational cannabis is legal. In July, Senate Bill 3 was introduced, which would have legalized medical cannabis for patients with life-ending illness. While the bill was initially passed in the Senate earlier this year, it didn’t receive support in the House.

However, House Speaker Tim Moore announced that the bill was likely dead for 2023. In order for it to pass, it “would require a number of House members who’ve taken a position of ‘no’ to literally switch their position to want to vote for it, and I just don’t see that happening,” Moore explained.

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For North Carolina, where both recreational and medical cannabis are both illegal under the state’s law, the outcome clears the way for the Tar Heel State’s first dispensary.

The Associated Press reported that unofficial results of the vote on Thursday showed “that 70% of voters said ‘yes’…in a referendum that opens the door to the western North Carolina reservation being the first location in the state where pot for recreational use can be legally purchased.”

“The question put to a vote by the Eastern Band tribal council asked whether members supported legalizing the possession and use of cannabis by people at least 21 years old, and requiring the council to develop legislation to regulate a market,” according to the Associated Press.

Local news station WLOS said that the matter will now go to the Tribal Council “to pass legislation governing the sale of marijuana,” and that if the council approves, “it would make the reservation the first place in North Carolina where marijuana could be legally possessed and used.”

For the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the vote has been two years in the making. In 2021, the tribe passed an ordinance that decriminalized pot on its land. That same year, the tribe also passed an ordinance legalizing medical cannabis.

“The Council’s approval of a medical marijuana ordinance is a testament to the changing attitudes toward legal marijuana and a recognition of the growing body of evidence that supports cannabis as medicine, particularly for those with debilitating conditions like cancer and chronic pain,” Richard Sneed, the principal chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, said following the vote in 2021.

The tribe has been planning to convert an old bingo hall into a “cannabis superstore.” But there have been disputes over the cost of the project.

In May, Sneed wrote in a post on Facebook that he had “vetoed the Tribal Council’s recent approval of the final $64 million for the project because the original proposal said the entire project would be completed for $50 million.”

“The fact that this project’s original cost for an outdoor grow, an indoor grow and an indoor dispensary was $50m, and we are now being told it is $95m, demonstrates that there is an immediate need for a full accounting of the money that has been expended to date,” Sneed wrote at the time.

The Charlotte Observer reported then: “Sneed told French he ‘fully supports cannabis, both medical and adult use.’ He also is ‘encouraged and inspired’ by tribal workers at the growing operation at Cooper’s Creek on the tribe’s Qualla Boundary in Cherokee, he added. The operation is run by Qualla Enterprises LLC, the tribe’s for-profit medical cannabis arm. Yet, Sneed told French, ‘I am very troubled by the lack of accountability for the managing of the business side of the operation. The current projected cost is almost 100% over budget as compared to the original RFP projected cost.’ RFP stands for ‘request for proposals.’”

Thursday’s vote marks a significant development in the reform effort. According to WLOS, the referendum passed 2,464 to 1,057.

Some outside the tribe have raised objections to the effort. Earlier this month, Chuck Edwards, a Republican congressman who represents a district in western North Carolina, introduced a bill to “withhold 10 percent of federal highway funds for governments that violate federal law under the Controlled Substances Act, which prohibits recreational marijuana and classifies it as a Schedule I drug.”

The legislation was explicitly aimed at the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ referendum.

“The laws of any government should not infringe on the overall laws of our nation, and federal funds should not be awarded to jurisdictions that willfully ignore federal law,” Edwards said in a statement after introducing the bill. “During a time when our communities are seeing unprecedented crime, drug addiction, and mental illness, the Stop Pot Act will help prevent even greater access to drugs and ease the strain placed on our local law enforcement and mental health professionals who are already stretched thin.”

In a press release, Edwards’ office noted that the “Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) will vote on September 7 whether to legalize the sale and use of recreational marijuana on tribal lands,” and that if the referendum were to pass, “the Qualla Boundary will be the only place in North Carolina to buy marijuana legally for recreational use.”

The congressman’s office noted that the bill “does not apply to jurisdictions that authorize medical use of marijuana when prescribed by a licensed medical professional.”

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Rep. Chuck Edwards, who represents a district in western North Carolina, unveiled the “Stop Pot Act” on Friday, saying that the bill “will withhold 10 percent of federal highway funds for governments that violate federal law under the Controlled Substances Act, which prohibits recreational marijuana and classifies it as a Schedule I drug.”

The legislation “does not apply to jurisdictions that authorize medical use of marijuana when prescribed by a licensed medical professional,” the congressman’s office said in a press release.

“The laws of any government should not infringe on the overall laws of our nation, and federal funds should not be awarded to jurisdictions that willfully ignore federal law,” Edwards said in a statement.

“During a time when our communities are seeing unprecedented crime, drug addiction, and mental illness, the Stop Pot Act will help prevent even greater access to drugs and ease the strain placed on our local law enforcement and mental health professionals who are already stretched thin.”

Edwards’ bill is being introduced amid a sea-change in marijuana policy across the United States. Twenty-three states have legalized recreational cannabis for adults. Recreational pot has also been made legal in the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. As local news station ABC11 reported, Edwards’ bill also “comes as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is set for a referendum election next week that has a question about whether to legalize the sale and use of recreational marijuana on tribal lands.”

If the referendum passes when the vote is held on Thursday, “the Qualla Boundary will be the only place in North Carolina to buy marijuana legally for recreational use,” Edwards’ office said.

But marijuana remains illegal on the federal level due to its status under the Controlled Substances Act.

In the press release for the bill on Friday, Edwards’ office noted that the measure has been endorsed by “Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action,” a coalition that aims to create a society “where marijuana policies are aligned with the scientific understanding of marijuana’s harms, and the commercialization and normalization of marijuana are no more,” and the Christian Action League.

“Today’s marijuana isn’t Woodstock Weed. It is a highly engineered drug that’s often wrapped in kid-friendly packaging, with potencies of up to 99 percent. The legalization movement has worsened America’s mental health and addiction crisis by preying on communities of color and young people. Today’s commercial marijuana products are associated with depression, suicidality, IQ loss and most recently psychosis and schizophrenia, especially for young people,” Smart Approaches president and CEO Dr. Kevin Sabet said in a statement.

“Federal law is clear – sales of marijuana and THC drugs are illegal. Congressman Edwards’ ‘Stop Pot Act’ holds states accountable for violating federal law and undermining the authority of the FDA and the DEA. In states across the country, we’ve seen marijuana and THC drug legalization lead to increases in marijuana-related driving crashes and deaths. As CBS News reported just today, a recent study found that in states where cannabis is legal, cannabis-related DUIs happen 32 percent more than in states where the drugs are not legal. By following the model used to raise the legal drinking age to 21 and making highway funding conditional upon responsible marijuana policy, this bill will improve roadway safety. That’s good news for everyone.”

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians have been preparing for a multi-million dollar dispensary for months, although the project has hit snags along the way.

In May, Richard Sneed, the principal chief of the tribe, said that he “vetoed the Tribal Council’s recent approval of the final $64 million for the project because the original proposal said the entire project would be completed for $50 million.”

“The fact that this project’s original cost for an outdoor grow, an indoor grow and an indoor dispensary was $50m, and we are now being told it is $95m, demonstrates that there is an immediate need for a full accounting of the money that has been expended to date,” Sneed wrote in a Facebook post at the time.

The tribe has been working to convert an old bingo hall into a marijuana superstore, which would be the only dispensary (medical or recreational) in the state of North Carolina.

Last fall, the tribe announced that it was beginning to grow its inaugural cannabis crop after a 2021 vote to legalize medical marijuana on its land.

“The Council’s approval of a medical marijuana ordinance is a testament to the changing attitudes toward legal marijuana and a recognition of the growing body of evidence that supports cannabis as medicine, particularly for those with debilitating conditions like cancer and chronic pain,” Sneed said in 2021 following the vote.

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A bill that would legalize medical marijuana in North Carolina is likely dead for the 2023 legislative session, House Speaker Tim Moore said on Tuesday. 

Although he is in favor of the bipartisan legislation, Moore said that the bill, which was passed by the North Carolina state Senate in March, does not have the support of enough members of the Republican House majority to advance. Under the rules of the House Republican Caucus, bills brought to the floor for a vote must already have the support of a majority of its members, even if Democratic support makes the measure likely to pass without a majority of Republicans on board.

Complying with the Republican caucus’s rule “would require a number of House members who’ve taken a position of ‘no’ to literally switch their position to want to vote for it, and I just don’t see that happening,” Moore said, according to a report from the Associated Press.

After discussing the legislation with members of the Republican caucus, Moore said that he agrees with recent public comments from House Majority Leader John Bell, who said there is not enough support for the bill to advance this session. 

On Tuesday, Bell told Spectrum News that he suspects the legalization issue will come up during next year’s chief legislative session, likely to begin in May.

“There’s passion on both sides,” Bell said. “We have members of our caucus that are 100% supportive of it, and we have other members that are 100% against it.”

But supporters of the legislation are not ready to give up. Democratic Senator Paul Lowe, another lead sponsor of the medical marijuana legalization bill, told the Raleigh News & Observer “by no means” is the bill “dead.”

Lowe said that discussions with the House Speaker and other members of the Republican leadership team are “ongoing,” and that he feels “pretty good about it.” 

“I think there are some members of his caucus that are reevaluating things and looking at it, and I think they’re gonna come around,” he said, not citing specific lawmakers. Revealing their names, he said, “would kill what I’m trying to do.” 

“If we don’t finish it in the long session, we’ll deal with it in the short session” next year, he said. “I feel pretty confident about it.”

Bill Legalizes MMJ For Patients With Qualifying Conditions

The measure, the North Carolina Compassionate Care Act (Senate Bill 3), was filed in January with sponsorship from Republican Senators Bill Rabon and Michael Lee and Lowe, their Democratic colleague. If passed, the bill would legalize the medicinal use of cannabis for patients with one or more specified qualifying serious medical conditions such as cancer, ALS, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder and others. Unlike the more comprehensive medical marijuana programs in many other states, however, the bill does not authorize the use of medical marijuana by patients living with chronic pain.

The sponsors of the bill note that the measure does not legalize recreational marijuana. Instead, the intent of the legislation “is to only make changes to existing state law that are necessary to protect patients and their doctors from criminal and civil penalties and would not intend to change current civil and criminal laws for the use of non-medical marijuana,” Rabon told reporters as the bill was being considered by the Senate earlier this year.

Under the bill, patients with a qualifying “debilitating medical condition” would be allowed access to medical cannabis. The bill permits the smoking and vaping of medical cannabis by patients whose doctors have recommended a specific form and dosage of medical marijuana. Physicians would be required to review a patient’s continued eligibility for the medical marijuana program annually.

Patients would be required to obtain a state medical marijuana identification card to participate in the program. The state Department of Health and Human Services would be tasked with creating “a secure, confidential, electronic database containing information about qualified patients, designated caregivers, and physicians,” according to the text of the measure.

Senate Passed Bill In March

The bill was passed by the North Carolina Senate on March 1 by an overwhelming bipartisan majority and sent to the state House of Representatives. In May, the bill was given a hearing by the House Health Committee, but the bill has not seen any action in the chamber since.

Late last month, Rabon tried to force action on the bill by attaching an amendment to an unrelated bill favored by Republicans in the House that would delay the enactment of the legislation until the medical marijuana bill is approved. The Senate approved the amendment and returned the largely technical legislation to the House, where it awaits further action.

State Senator Julie Mayfield, one of seven Democratic senators sponsoring a bill to legalize recreational marijuana for adults, said that she believes the medical marijuana bill should be allowed to go to the House floor for a vote.

“It is long past time for North Carolina to legalize the medical use of cannabis,” Mayfield said in a statement to local media. “It has helped many, many people, and it is time to allow people who need it to acquire and use it with dignity and without fear. The bill would pass with overwhelming support from Democrats if only Speaker Moore would let it come to a vote. It’s time to let democracy work.”

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When in doubt, it’s probably not a good idea to ship felony amounts pot to your workplace—especially not on your day off. 

A box containing about three pounds of cannabis was found in a parcel at a used car dealership, which was addressed to an employee at CarMax in Gastonia, North Carolina, according to the Gastonia Police Department (GPD). Employees at CarMax regularly receive parcels at work, but this particular box was suspicious enough for them to investigate. The box was shipped from a location in Hollywood, California, where weed is legal, but not in that large of an amount.

The CarMax employee, Michael Williams, 39, unfortunately was not at work on the day the package arrived, so he could not hide it to keep it under wraps. Williams’ fellow employees called authorities when they found the box, and police confiscated the pot.

Local police officers were not done, however: They refilled the box with three pounds of weights to mimic the bags of weed, setting up Williams to incriminate himself. This was the evidence they needed to cite him and send him to jail.

“[We] put some items in the box that weighed roughly three pounds, resealed the box, and waited for the suspect, Mr. Williams, to come to work to claim that package,” Rick Goodale with GPD told the Charlotte Observer. The GPD posted a photo of what appears to be three pound-sized vacuum-sealed bags that were in the parcel.

When Williams returned to CarMax to report for work on his next shift, he confirmed the package was meant for him. Police officers then placed him under arrest on May 22.

California allows adults 21 and over to possess cannabis, but only 28.5 grams of personal cannabis without a specific license. Also, shipping pot over state lines is always a no-no. Finding cannabis in this amount at someone’s workplace is out of the ordinary.

“Most of the time, it’s going to houses, it’s very unusual to go to a business,” Goodale said.

Police officers with the GPD believe William’s operation has been going on for some time.

Williams is out on bond after posting bail. In North Carolina, 1.5 ounces to 10 lbs of cannabis is considered a felony, with punishments of 3-8 months in jail, and a $1,000 fine, NORML indicates.

CarMax Under Scrutiny

CarMax attempted to distance itself from Williams, saying that he wasn’t directly employed by them—just a contractor. They released a statement last Wednesday, saying, “CarMax was founded on integrity and doing the right thing and we appreciate the quick response from the local police department.”

Hiring contractors can be advantageous when there are fluctuating workloads, but it’s also a way companies can avoid supplying benefits.

While it’s common to find lemons at CarMax, finding pot at a location is something entirely new.

CarMax has been under increased scrutiny due to the massive number of complaints alleging that lemons are being sold at its dealerships, The Lemon Firm reports. The Lemon Firm was founded by one of California’s top lemon law trial attorneys, Michael H. Rosenstein.

In some cases, CarMax patrons said they were not informed that the vehicles they were purchasing had been involved in accidents or had other major damages. Others allege that CarMax misrepresented the current condition of the cars, leading them to believe they were getting a stellar deal. Read what some Reddit users have said about the situation.

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