North Carolina

NC’s 1st marijuana dispensary will open on 4/20 in Cherokee: What to know

Published

2 years ago

April 15, 2024

NC’s 1st marijuana dispensary will open on 4/20 in Cherokee: What to know

While other states have moved to legalize the drug, cannabis has remained illegal in North Carolina. Yet, the sale of medical marijuana might soon begin in a part of the state that is also a sovereign nation — the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ Qualla Boundary.

The EBCI is planning to officially launch the Great Smoky Cannabis Co. dispensary, managed by Qualla Enterprises, on April 20. It will be the first marijuana dispensary to open in North Carolina after the EBCI approved the sale of medical marijuana in 2021.

But this isn’t a free-for-all, open-to-the public dispensary. Before you take the trip out to the Qualla Boundary in the Great Smoky Mountains — not to be confused with Great Smoky Mountains National Park — here’s what you need to know.

Who will be able to purchase cannabis?

On March 25, The Great Smoky Cannabis Co. announced that the dispensary would only be open for the sale of medical marijuana on April 20.

Only those with an EBCI medical cannabis patient card or an out-of-state approved medical marijuana card will be eligible to purchase at the dispensary when it opens, according to a March 25 press release from the dispensary.

Where is the dispensary?

Located on the Qualla Boundary, Cherokee is a sovereign nation that has its own elections, laws, government and institutions that are self-governed and autonomous.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians are one of three federally recognized sovereign nations that were once part of the larger Cherokee Tribe prior to the Trail of Tears forced removal from their land in Western North Carolina, according to the ECBI website. The other two, Cherokee Nation and the United Kituwah Band, are located in Oklahoma.

Cherokee is not to be confused with Cherokee County, North Carolina, of which parts of the Qualla Boundary are located.

Great Smoky Cannabis Co. is located at 91 Bingo Loop Road in Cherokee.

The dispensary opens at 10 a.m. April 20, and features over 10,000 square feet of retail space, three drive-through windows and a glass shop.

How much will you be able to buy?

Great Smoky Mountain Cannabis recently announced that the sale of medical marijuana will have some purchase limits.

Customers can only buy up to 1 ounce of dry cannabis flower at the dispensary per day, according to a post on the Great Smoky Mountain Cannabis Instagram. The monthly limit is 6 ounces.

As for concentrated THC products, they limit the purchase of 2,500 milligrams of concentrated THC per day. The monthly limit is 10,000 milligrams.

Why not recreational?

The dispensary is on the land of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, where medical marijuana was legalized in 2021.

A September referendum on recreational marijuana indicated support for the recreational sale of the drug, but the ECBI Tribal Council has yet to pass a resolution officially allowing the recreational sale and use of marijuana.

Another Tribal Council work session on a recreational marijuana resolution is planned for 9 a.m. April 18, Tribal Council Chairman Mike Parker announced during the April 4 Tribal Council meeting.

What about legalization in North Carolina?

The possession, sale and distribution of marijuana is currently illegal under current North Carolina general statutes.

However, some low-THC products have been legalized under a 2021 state law. The law allows the sale of products with no more than 0.3% of delta-9, allowing the sale of cannabinoids like THCa and CBD.

District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said that she fully intends to “enforce state laws,” even as the dispensary opens. Welch is the chief criminal prosecutor in Prosecutorial District 43, which includes Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties.

“The mission, duty and privilege of the 43rd Prosecutorial District is to enforce state laws. We do not pick certain laws to enforce and ignore others,” Welch said in a April 3 statement regarding the dispensary.

The Great Smoky Cannabis website also comes with a disclaimer: “Upon leaving North Carolina’s Qualla boundary, individuals are subject to state laws, including those regarding cannabis. We recommend that individuals familiarize themselves with their relevant state laws and regulations governing cannabis activities outside of the Qualla boundary.”

The opening of the dispensary has also drawn the ire of Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards — who is running for reelection — and the state’s two senators, Thom Tillis and Ted Budd. Edwards introduced the Stop Pot Act in September, which would penalize states and tribes with legalized marijuana, taking 10% of their federal highway funds.

The act failed to advance past a Sept. 5 referral to a subcommittee under the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Citizen Times reported March 20.

The act has received a critical response from Democratic State Rep. Caleb Rudow — who is running for congress — and EBCI Chief Michell Hicks, who advocated against Edwards’ efforts citing the medicinal qualities of marijuana and tribal sovereignty, the Citizen Times previously reported.

Which states have legalized cannabis?

After Ohio legalized the drug in late 2023, nearly half of the United States has now legalized the drug, as reported by USA TODAY. North Carolina is not one of them.

Here’s a list of states that have legalized recreational cannabis and when it was made official:

Ohio: 2023
Minnesota: 2023
Delaware: 2023
Rhode Island: 2022
Maryland: 2022
Missouri: 2022
Connecticut: 2021
New Mexico: 2021
New York: 2021
Virginia: 2021
Arizona: 2020
Montana: 2020
New Jersey: 2020
Vermont: 2020
Illinois: 2019
Michigan: 2018
California: 2016
Maine: 2016
Massachusetts: 2016
Nevada: 2016
District of Columbia: 2014
Alaska: 2014
Oregon: 2014
Colorado: 2012
Washington: 2012

Contributing: Orlando Mayorquin and Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY

More: As NC’s 1st cannabis dispensary opens, Cherokee Co. DA to ‘continue to enforce state law’

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Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

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North Carolina

North Carolina decision on coach Hubert Davis’ future is reportedly coming next week

Published

11 hours ago

March 21, 2026

Press Room

North Carolina decision on coach Hubert Davis’ future is reportedly coming next week

North Carolina is picking up the pieces after a heartbreaking March Madness loss to VCU. The Tar Heels blew a 19-point lead, allowing the sixth-largest comeback in NCAA tournament history, including the largest the first round has ever seen.

They’ve now bowed out of the tournament’s Round of 64 in back-to-back years, and questions are swirling about the job security of head coach Hubert Davis.

Those won’t be answered until early next week, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

“The future of Hubert Davis at North Carolina right now is squarely in flux in the wake of these back-to-back, first-round NCAA tournament exits,” Thamel reported on Saturday. “The sides are expected to talk in the upcoming days, and no decision on Davis’ future is expected until early next week.
“Do not expect Davis to be fired outright. Any kind of departure would be synchronized, likely between he and the school. Hubert Davis is a legend at North Carolina and will be treated with that type of respect.”
Thamel added: “The options here are simple: Keep Davis with significant changes to the staff and program or orchestrate some type of wholesale change to the coaching staff and bring in a whole new regime.”

In other words, even if Davis stays, staff changes are expected.

Outgoing UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham, who will be replaced by Steve Newmark when Cunningham steps down from his role this summer, reportedly told Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman that he and other administrators are in the process of evaluating the men’s basketball program.

“Every year at the end of the season, it’s important to evaluate all facets of the program and look for ways to improve,” Cunningham said, per Goodman. “The Chancellor, Steve and I are doing that together now and will continue to have discussions over the coming days.”

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North Carolina

North Carolina vs. Western Illinois – First round NCAA tournament extended highlights

Published

23 hours ago

March 21, 2026

Press Room

North Carolina vs. Western Illinois – First round NCAA tournament extended highlights

Women’s Basketball

March 20, 2026

North Carolina vs. Western Illinois – First round NCAA tournament extended highlights

March 20, 2026

Watch the highlights from No. 4 North Carolina and No. 13 Western Illinois’ matchup in the first round of the 2026 women’s NCAA tournament.

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North Carolina

Spruce Pine equestrian estate sells for record $4.1 million

Published

2 days ago

March 20, 2026

Press Room

Spruce Pine equestrian estate sells for record .1 million

An expansive equestrian estate in Spruce Pine has sold for $4.1 million, the highest residential sale on record in Mitchell County, according to Premier Sotheby’s International Realty.

Located on 68 acres west of downtown Spruce Pine, 1987 Rabbit Hop Road sold March 16, taking the equestrian compound off the market. The property had been listed for sale in mid-2025 for over $4.2 million, according to Zillow.

Developed as an equestrian compound, the estate features a main residence, a six-stall heated barn with a tack room and studio apartment, an indoor riding arena, an outdoor riding track and an RV and horse trailer storage area. The main residence features three bedrooms, 3,000 square-feet of living space and vaulted wood ceilings.

The property is located at elevations between 2,500 and 3,000 feet, according to Premier Sotheby’s International Realty. Properties of the size and scale of the estate are “extremely limited,” Premier Sotheby global real estate advisors Leslie Young and Cheryl Cenderelli said in a March 19 news release.

Western North Carolina’s luxury real estate market has remained relatively strong in recent years, as more luxury homes list across the region. In Buncombe County, not including the city of Asheville, 99 homes were listed above $1.5 million at the end 2025, according to Mosaic Community Lifestyle Realty’s 4th quarter of 2025 market report. It represented an estimated 11.5 months of inventory.

The most expensive home in Buncombe County is Deerhaven Gardens, which is currently listed for $15.9 million on Zillow, down from its $34 million listing in 2023. With a 5% down payment and a 30-year loan term at 6.22% fixed-rate mortgage, one would pay $104,881 a month to rent the property, according to Rocket Mortgage’s loan calculator.

Will Hofmann is the growth and development reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com or message will_hofmann.01 on Signal.

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