Page 7 - ARUBA TODAY

A7
U.S. NEWS Monday 26 February 2018

Tribes cut out of California pot

market might grow their own

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD marijuana laws with tribes Association warned state
Associated Press that the federal govern- officials that tribes "may en-
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Amer- ment recognizes as sover- gage in commercial can-
ican Indian tribes that say eign nations within the U.S. nabis activities through our
they have been cut out Under regulations issued own inherent sovereign au-
of California's legal mari- last year, California would thority." Issues involving sov-
juana market have raised retain full control over li- ereignty touch a sensitive
the possibility of going their censing. Tribes would have subject for tribes, and they
own way by establishing to follow state rules, in- see the predicament with
pot businesses outside the cluding "submission to all marijuana as part of a his- In this Jan. 9, 2018, file photo Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Oak-
state-regulated system that enforcement," to obtain tory of exploitation. q land, speaks during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif.
Associated Press
is less than two months old. a license to grow or sell
The tribes floated the idea marijuana. Any application
of setting up rival farms must include a waiver of
and sales shops on reserva- "sovereign immunity," a sort
tions after concluding that of legal firewall that pro-
rules requiring them to be tects tribal interests.
licensed by the state would Without state licenses, busi-
strip them of authority over nesses cannot take part in
their own lands and their the legal state pot market.
right to self-governance. California has over 100 fed-
The possibility of the tribes erally recognized tribes, the
breaking away from the most of any state, and esti-
state-run system is one more mates of the number either
challenge for California growing and selling pot or
as it attempts to transform eager to do so varies, from
its longstanding medicinal a handful to over 20.
and illegal marijuana mar- Unlike those that have pros-
kets into a unified, multibil- pered from casino gam-
lion-dollar industry. bling, some are in strug-
For tribes to participate in gling rural areas and would
the state-run market, "they welcome a new source of
have to give up their rights cash to improve schools
to act as governments, and pave roads.
with regard to cannabis," After long-running nego-
said Mark Levitan, a tribal tiations between tribes and
attorney. state officials failed to pro-
At issue are legally thorny duce an agreement be-
questions about who gov- fore broad legal sales be-
erns whom, taxation and gan Jan. 1, the California
the intersection of state Native American Cannabis