It’s been three years since marijuana for medicinal use became legal in Mississippi. Now, a tribal group in the state is taking steps toward the legalization of recreational use on their lands.
Members of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians voted earlier this month in favor of a referendum to enact cannabis reform, according to official results provided by the tribe. The ballot option came after multiple public hearings and information sessions on the matter.
The June 10 ballot included a simple question asking voters, “Do you support the Tribe developing legislation to decriminalize and regulate the possession, production, and distribution of marijuana on Tribal lands?”
Out of over 2,500 votes cast, roughly 55% of members gave their approval of the measure.
The vote does not mean that recreational use is immediate on the tribe’s lands in the eastern part of the state and a satellite community in Henning, Tenn., according to Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben. He stated at a community meeting in May that “this vote does not automatically authorize or legalize marijuana on Choctaw tribal trust land.”
However, the affirmative vote does allow the 17-member Tribal Council to hire consultants for a feasibility study and authorize research on public health and potential regulations in regard to recreational marijuana.
“…This does not mean that dime bags will start selling on our streets the next day,” the chief cautioned during a public meeting before the vote, according to reporting by Mississippi Free Press. “All this means is that [the Tribal Council] will conduct a study of feasibility to determine the best use of marijuana on our lands. This is the next step after this vote.”
The move from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians comes as Native American groups across the country debate and, in some cases, enact their own laws on marijuana use. According to the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association, more than a fourth of Indigenous communities in the continental U.S. is now involved with marijuana or hemp programs.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina, a state where cannabis remains illegal for medicinal and recreational use, approved a legalization referendum in 2023 and began sales in 2024. In 2020, the Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota became the first to legalize marijuana in a state where the plant’s use remained illegal, according to Marijuana Moment.
The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians has more than 35,000 acres of land in Mississippi and Tennessee. The tribe uses it for various purposes, including residential communities, cultural preservation, and economic development. Three casinos are included in the latter, with the Tribal Council holding the power to decide whether recreational marijuana use would be permitted on gaming grounds by tribal and non-tribal members.
Other regulations, such as who can produce and sell marijuana, will also have to be decided on by the council.
