Connect with us

North Carolina

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

Published

on

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


play

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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’

Advertisement

More: Asheville-area personal landing strip Airbnb? County board approves strip, limits rentals

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.





Source link

North Carolina

Officials urge caution as invasive armadillos move into western NC

Published

on

Officials urge caution as invasive armadillos move into western NC


An animal more commonly found in the South-Central U.S. is making its way into western North Carolina.

Armadillos are beginning to show up more frequently, according to the N.C. Cooperative Extension Office in Henderson County.

IF YOU SEE AN ARMADILLO IN NORTH CAROLINA, WILDLIFE OFFICIALS WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

They’re considered an exotic invasive species and can cause damage to yards, buildings, and even forest ecosystems.

Advertisement

AS TICK BITES SURGE NATIONWIDE, VETERINARIANS SAY MOST CASES START WITH PETS

Trapping is considered the simplest way to remove armadillos; they can also be hunted with a permit.

Comment with Bubbles

JOIN THE CONVERSATION (5)

Officials advise people to keep their distance if they encounter an armadillo in the wild.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

North Carolina

JetZero Breaks Ground on First Aircraft Factory in Greensboro, North Carolina

Published

on

JetZero Breaks Ground on First Aircraft Factory in Greensboro, North Carolina


JetZero will make the Z4 in Greensboro. Designed for the unserved commercial middle market, with 250 passenger capacity on a range of up to 5,000 nautical miles, the Z4 will be up to 50 percent more fuel efficient with an elevated passenger experience and will readily fit into today’s airport infrastructure.

“Today, a great new chapter in North Carolina’s storied history of flight is taking off,” said Governor Josh Stein. “JetZero’s decision to build here is a vote of confidence in North Carolina’s workforce, our universities and community colleges, and our long aerospace tradition. These 14,500 jobs and $4.7 billion in investment will transform the triad region for generations. North Carolina is not only First in Flight, we are the future of flight, too.”

“It should come as no surprise that JetZero is breaking ground here in North Carolina – the first in flight state,” said Tom O’Leary, CEO and co-founder of JetZero. “North Carolina has a vision for its future as a global aerospace hub, and JetZero shares that vision. We believe the time has come for an all-wing airplane, to support the industry’s need for more efficient airplanes that also deliver an incredible experience. We intend to reshape aviation, from right here in North Carolina.”

JetZero is also designing military variants of the Z4, including an aerial refueler and transport aircraft. As a refueler, the all-wing design allows for twice the range or twice the payload to support U.S. air power.

Advertisement

With America’s 250th birthday just three weeks away, the timing of today’s groundbreaking carries special meaning. As the nation celebrates a quarter millennium of innovation and independence, JetZero’s commitment to reinventing how aircraft are designed and built stands as a testament to that same pioneering spirit, carrying American aviation boldly into the next century.

Digital-First, AI-Native Smart Factory 
JetZero’s Greensboro plant will be designed using advanced digital and AI native platforms developed in collaboration with Siemens and Deloitte. These platforms and tools allow engineers to build a complete digital twin of the factory before any concrete is poured — testing how machines, people, and materials will move through the building, and making changes on a screen rather than on a job site. That flexibility is rare in aerospace manufacturing and will make the Greensboro facility the most efficient and adaptable plant of its kind anywhere in the world.

“Our partnership with JetZero demonstrates how cutting-edge industrial technology can help reindustrialize America,” said Ann Fairchild, President and CEO, Siemens USA. “Our digital twins help bring the next generation of manufacturing facilities to life faster and with greater confidence. We’re proud to help JetZero build a world-class aerospace facility that will create thousands of jobs and strengthen North Carolina’s position as the next great U.S. aerospace hub.” 

“By pairing advanced AI and digital tools with our deep operational and industry experience, we’re helping JetZero set a new standard for manufacturing speed, quality, and scale,” Kelly Herod, chief client officer, Deloitte. “Our work with JetZero brings automation and AI together with data strategies informed by our experience at The Smart Factory by Deloitte @ Wichita—connecting design, the shop floor, and the workforce.”

Construction in Greensboro begins immediately, with hiring expected to ramp in phases over the next decade as the facility comes online.

Advertisement

About JetZero
JetZero is an American aerospace company developing a new generation of more efficient commercial and defense aircraft. The company partners with leading manufacturers and technology providers to advance the future of flight through innovation and American manufacturing excellence.

Media Contact
[email protected]

SOURCE JetZero



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

North Carolina

North Carolina gains inside track to College World Series finals with 5-2 win over West Virginia

Published

on

North Carolina gains inside track to College World Series finals with 5-2 win over West Virginia


OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Gavin Gallaher’s two-run triple gave North Carolina the lead in the seventh inning to help send the Tar Heels to a 5-2 win over West Virginia in the College World Series on Sunday night.

The Tar Heels (52-12-1) opened a CWS with two straight wins for the first time in eight appearances since 2006 and need one more victory to reach the best-of-three finals next weekend. They’re off until Wednesday, when they’ll meet the winner of a Tuesday elimination game between the Mountaineers (46-16) and Troy.

“Our goal is to play really well on Wednesday,” Carolina coach Scott Forbes said, “but I think I’ll sleep pretty good tonight going 2-0.”

The Tar Heels scored three unearned runs against Big 12 pitcher of the year Maxx Yehl (9-3) to break a 2-all tie in the seventh with country music star and North Carolina booster Eric Church cheering them on in a suite.

Advertisement

They had runners on first and second after West Virginia third baseman Tyrus Hall and second baseman Brodie Kresser couldn’t come up with grounders. Gallaher lined a ball deep into the gap in right center for a 4-2 lead and he came home when Owen Hull grounded a ball up the middle for a single.

“When you give a great team five outs, it’s hard to get through it,” Mountaineers coach Steve Sabins said, “and the groundball broke our back.”

An inning earlier, Forbes called a team meeting in the dugout and, according to ESPN, told his players they needed to play looser and have more fun. The Tar Heels went three-up, three-down in the sixth, but the next inning Gallaher and his teammates were having a jolly time on a clear and cool evening at Charles Schwab Field.

Forbes called Gallaher “Mr. Clutch” for his history of coming up with big hits in critical situations over his three years in the program.

“I just try to keep everything the same, stick to my routine and trust my preparation,” Gallaher said. “I keep grinding.”

Advertisement

Gallaher said he also finds comfort having Forbes coaching third base.

“Always has a smile on his face, and that takes weight off your shoulders,” he said.

The mood in the Tar Heels’ dugout changed in the ninth. Walker McDuffie (9-3), who relieved starter Ryan Lynch in the fifth, gave up a walk and single to bring Ben Lumsden to the plate as the potential tying run with one out.

Caden Glauber, who pitched 2 1/3 innings of shutout relief in a 6-2 win over Mississippi on Friday, came on and struck out Lumsden and Hall to earn his fifth save.

Sabins said the task they face to reach the finals is difficult but not insurmountable. The Mountaineers won three elimination games in regionals.

Advertisement

“We were able to scratch back and claw back,” he said. “You get a little bit more rest in this event. So guys get rested, recover, come back and try to eliminate a team in a day.”



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending