Mississippi Indian Tribe Schedules Hearings Ahead Of Vote To Legalize Marijuana Within Its Territory Next Month

An Indian tribe in Mississippi has scheduled a series of public hearings in preparation for a referendum to legalize marijuana within its territory that voters will decide on next month.

From May 12-28, officials with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians will hold the hearings to gain public input on the proposal.

The question that tribal members will see on their June 10 ballots reads, “Do you support the Tribe developing legislation to decriminalize and regulate the possession, production, and distribution of marijuana on Tribal lands?”

If tribal officials do move forward with enacting such a system, it would make the tribe the only source of legal adult-use cannabis in Mississippi.

This is one of the latest examples of increased interest among certain Native American communities to enact reform within their borders—despite federal prohibition and, in cases like Mississippi, state law.

In North Carolina, where cannabis remains illegal for medical and adult-use purposes, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians approved a legalization referendum in 2023, and sales began last year.

It’s drawn attention from congressional lawmakers, including Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), who this week asked President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to investigate the legal implications of the policy.

In Montana, meanwhile, marijuana was legalized statewide through a ballot initiative in 2020, and the legislature recently passed a bill that would allow the governor to enter into compacts with Indian tribes to remove barriers to their participation in the industry.

A similar compact agreement system has been in place in Minnesota, where cannabis is also legal for adult use. A recent attempt to add transparency to that compact process between the tribes and governor’s office fell short.

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It’s believed that in 2020, the Oglala Sioux Tribe, located in South Dakota, became the first tribe to vote to legalize marijuana within a U.S. state where the plant remained illegal.

In Wisconsin, indigenous leaders have worked together to craft a campaign called Wisconsin Wellness, which last year held an event at the state Capitol in favor of legalizing medical marijuana.

Back in Mississippi, medical cannabis was legalized in 2022, but marijuana remains prohibited for adult use.

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