(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . DKos Asheville Open Thread: Waynesville arch and Cherokee cannabis [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-06-08 Welcome to DKos Asheville . This space appears each weekend to share links to news and opinion from Asheville and Western North Carolina. The floor is open for comment and discussion. Wishing all a good day from this beautiful part of the world. “Daily Kos fights for a progressive America by empowering its community and allies with information and tools to directly impact the political process.” Please jump the fold for links to a couple of stories I found interesting this week. Waynesville, a town of a little over 10,000 residents, 30 miles south of Asheville, celebrated the return of an iconic arch to downtown. And Adult-use (recreational) cannabis is a signature away from being legal on the trust lands of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). The air buzzed with excitement as the crowd gathered in downtown Waynesville on Saturday, June 1. A standing-room-only assembly packed the street and sidewalk for a solid block between First Baptist Church and town hall, necks turned upward toward the new steel arch — still shrouded in black cloth — spanning Main Street. Bucket trucks manned by town electric workers stood at the ready, and when, at the conclusion of a celebratory speaking program, they cut the zip ties holding the cloth in place, a great cheer rose from the audience. A band began to play as the words beneath were revealed, decorative outlines of dogwood blooms sculpted on either side: “Waynesville NC, Gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains.” “Today, we’re celebrating more than just the unveiling of the new ‘Gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains’ arch,” said Waynesville Town Council member Jon Feichter. “We’re here to celebrate the power of determination, best illustrated in the old adage, ‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way.’” The new arch resurrects a downtown landmark that many long-time residents still remember fondly. Anticipating the creation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which would occur through an act of Congress in 1934, the town completed installation of the original arch on May 31, 1933. Spanning Main Street at its intersection with Depot Street — the opposite end of downtown from the new arch — the sign was made of steel and sheet iron, bearing the words “The Great Smoky Mountains National Park,” with a second sign hanging below, shaped like an arrow, reading “Eastern Entrance.” Adult-use (recreational) cannabis is a signature away from being legal on the trust lands of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). Dinilawigi (Tribal Council) passed Ord. No. 63 (2024), during its regular session on the morning of Thursday, June 6, legalizing adult-use (recreational) cannabis on EBCI lands. Nine Dinilawigi representatives voted to pass, Aniwodihi (Painttown) Rep. Dike Sneed and Vice Chairman David Wolfe voted not to pass, and Tutiyi (Snowbird) – Tsalagi Gadugi (Cherokee Co.) Rep. Adam Wachacha was absent. The ordinance will not become law until ratified by Ugvwiyuhi (Principal Chief). EBCI voters approved a referendum during the 2023 General Election on Sept. 7 which asked, “Do you support legalizing the possession and use of cannabis for persons who are at least twenty-one (21) years old and require the EBCI Tribal Council to develop legislation to regulate the market?” The referendum passed 2,464 (yes) to 1,057 (no). Qualla Enterprises, LLC, an EBCI tribal entity, operates a cannabis farm and a dispensary (Great Smoky Cannabis Co.) which opened on April 20 for medical cannabis sales only. Ord. No. 63 amended Cherokee Code Chapters 14 and 17. Chapter 14 deals with controlled substances. Several possession charges were taken out of chapter, and Sec. 14-95.12 was added which outlines “Prohibited Marijuana Conduct” that will be in Cherokee Code. CLICK the story title for details. Thank you for stopping by today, wishing all a great weekend. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/6/8/2245562/-DKos-Asheville-Open-Thread-Waynesville-arch-and-Cherokee-cannabis?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/