 In 2020, the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota overwhelmingly voted to legalize recreational and medical cannabis on their sovereign land.
On the other hand, the Tribe has had a ban on alcohol which has been in place for the last 100 years, and they have no plans to change that. People living on the reservation say that they see cannabis as a safe and natural alternative to alcohol. They also see it as a positive tool for managing things like mental health issues and chronic illnesses. Ann Marie Beane, who works at a local dispensary called No Worries told the Press Herald, “Cannabis is a natural plant that comes from the Earth—and our people lived off the land, and they got their medicine from the land.… Our Indigenous people, they suffer a lot from diabetes and cancer and various other illnesses, but the cannabis really helps them.” Stephanie Bolman, a breast cancer patient who used to work in health care, and also a city council member for the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, said, “Unfortunately, the health care services provided by the Indian Health Service have failed so many in countless ways… It has left many to fend for themselves and endure so much pain and suffering that medical marijuana has proven to be lifesaving.” It’s estimated that the reservation is home to nearly 40,000 residents. Comments are closed.
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