Pubdate: Wed, 11 Feb 2015
Source: Daily Star, The (Lebanon)
Copyright: 2015 The Daily Star
Contact:  http://www.dailystar.com.lb/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/547
Author: Mary Papenfuss, Reuters

CASINOS TO CANNABIS: NATIVE AMERICANS ENTER POT TRADE

UKIAH, Calif.: A damp plot of bright green grass next to a Native 
American greenhouse in northern California doesn't look like much, 
but it could soon set the burgeoning marijuana industry on fire.

An initial, 10,000-square-foot state-of-the art greenhouse is due to 
be erected within weeks on the land in Ukiah owned by the 250-member 
Pinoleville Pomo Nation, about 140 miles north of Sacramento. It's 
the initial phase of a joint marijuana production and processing 
venture believed to be the first of its kind in the nation.

The endeavor, launched after a U.S. Department of Justice memo 
largely cleared the way for such enterprises, is expected to trigger 
similar ventures to bring cannabis cash to Native Americans, like the 
windfalls from tribal casinos and tax-free cigarette sales.

But the new opportunity has sparked controversy as tribes struggle 
with concerns about historically high rates of substance abuse.

"It's going to be up to each Indian nation to decide whether this is 
a tremendous economic opportunity or something to be feared," said 
lawyer Robert Odawi Porter, an expert on tribal law and former 
president of the Seneca Nation of New York. "But one thing is 
certain. Everyone is talking about it."

"Alcohol has ravaged Indian communities. It stares us in the face 
every day," Porter said. "Now we've got to carefully examine the 
impact of marijuana."

Pomo tribal leaders are cautiously optimistic about their venture 
with FoxBarry Farms of Kansas and the United Cannabis Corp (UCANN), 
of Colorado. They want to avoid a clash with law enforcement or 
neighbors, but are eager for a new source of income and support 
medical marijuana.

"We have a history of using plants for medicine," Pomo Tribal Council 
Vice Chairwoman Angela James told Reuters. "The tribe is seeking 
economic development, and we're comfortable with these partners and 
this product."

Pomo's marijuana plants will be used in UCANN-branded medicinal pot 
products from pills to "sublinguals" - tinctures applied under the 
tongue to address problems from insomnia to chronic pain.

Planting at the greenhouse is expected in early spring but the 
partners have declined to say how much cannabis will be produced. The 
complex will eventually occupy two and a half acres, with 10 extra 
available for offices and processing. The venture will employ up to 
100 workers.

FoxBarry and United Cannabis plan to launch two other tribal 
operations in California but have declined to identify the tribes. 
Publicly traded UCANN aims to advance the use of cannabinoids in 
medicine, while economic development firm FoxBarry, which is 
investing $30 million in the three ventures, works with Native 
American governments across the nation.

The Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, representing nearly 50 
tribes but not Pomo, passed a resolution last year opposing 
legalization of marijuana, citing its "threat to the health and 
safety of all tribes, especially our youth."

However, interest has exploded since a DOJ memo in December signaled 
that tribes would be treated the same as states that legalize 
marijuana for medicinal or recreational use.

Porter and lawyers from the Harris Moure law firm in Seattle, which 
has a cannabis legal division, are sponsoring a conference this month 
in Washington state for Native American leaders to explore all 
aspects of marijuana enterprises from the economic benefits to the 
social impact.

Officials won't "prioritize" enforcing federal marijuana laws, the 
DOJ memo stated, if conditions are met, including barring sale to minors.

The memo indicates that a tribe can choose to legalize marijuana even 
within states where it's illegal, but would be barred from 
distributing pot beyond its own territory.

U.S. Attorney Brendan Johnson, whose district includes nine tribes in 
South Dakota, says leaders contacted him on a range of issues, 
including the risks of federal prosecution. "Others want to keep 
marijuana off their lands," he told Reuters.

The Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma has no interest in the business, 
spokeswoman Amanda Clinton said. But Montana's Fort Peck Assiniboine 
and Sioux Tribes, and the Red Lake Band of Chippewas in Minnesota, 
have begun feasibility studies.

One of the most dramatic splits is in Washington, which began sales 
of recreational marijuana in 2014.

Washington state's 1,200-member Suquamish tribe last year notified 
authorities it was considering producing and selling marijuana. The 
tribe "has a responsibility to explore business opportunities that 
may help raise funds," Suquamish Chairman Leonard Forsman said in a statement.

But the state's 10,000-member Yakama tribe has outlawed marijuana on 
its 1.2 million acres, and wants it banned from 10.2 million acres of 
ancestral land it ceded to the federal government.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom