Council members of the Oglala Sioux Indian Tribe approved legislation recognizing hemp as a “safe and profitable” crop. The ordinance amends the Tribal Penal Code to legally distinguish between hemp and marijuana, and opens the door for legal cultivation of the low-THC strain of the plant.
The passage of this ordinance “sets the stage for land-based economic development on the reservation and probably a legal challenge by the tribe in federal court,” said ordinance spokesman Joe American Horse.
At least one other Indian tribe, the Navajo Nation, has passed legislation supporting hemp cultivation on sovereign land.
For more information, please contact either Paul Armentano or attorney Tanya Kangas of The NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8751. Tom Cook of the Slim Butte Land-Use Association may be contacted @ (308) 432-2290.
