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Standing Rock Sioux Tribe considers petition to legalize hemp

Monday, August 31, 2015

Chase Iron Eyes collects signatures for a petition to legalize hemp and address governance and land issues on the reservation of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Photo from Facebook

A member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is circulating a petition to legalize hemp.

Chase Iron Eyes, a prominent attorney and activist, believes hemp can boost the economy on the reservation, which straddles the North Dakota and South Dakota border. His petition -- which also addresses land and other governance issues -- is due to be considered by the tribal council tomorrow in anticipation of a September 30 election.

“There’s things that need to be done so that we can learn to provide for ourselves," Iron Eyes told the Associated Press.

Chairman Dave Archambault supports hemp but wants to proceed with a permit under the Farm Bill of 2015, which established a pilot program for colleges and state agencies to grow industrial hemp for research purposes. That means the Sitting Bull College would grow hemp.

Section 7606 of H.R.2642, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act, applies states where hemp cultivation is already legal. North Dakota is one of those states.

Otherwise, hemp and its close cousin, marijuana, remain illegal under federal law. But the Department of Justice opened the door for tribes to legalize marijuana under the so-called 2014 Wilkinson memo.

The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe is taking advantage of the shift in policy and will sell marijuana for medicinal and recreational purposes by the end of the year.

Get the Story:
Standing Rock attorney wants to legalize hemp on reservation (AP 8/27)
Marijuana not to blame for police split, tribe says (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 8/27)

Relevant Documents:
Department of Justice Policy Statement Regarding Marijuana Issues in Indian Country (October 2014)