The Ely Times
This is a historic time for equal rights of Native Americans and for the Ely Shoshone Tribe.
Even with a valid Nevada State medical marijuana card, Native Americans could still be prosecuted for medical or recreational marijuana and had no clear safe path to the same medicine non-tribal members have. On Nov 1, The Ely Shoshone medical marijuana program was added to the Nevada Department of Health list of “states and jurisdictions” whose medical programs meet all the Nevada State requirements to be recognized for reciprocity.
This allows for state licensed medical marijuana dispensaries to recognize the Tribe’s patient’s cards and allows the card holder to purchase medicine from Nevada State dispensaries.
It gives access to medicine for tribal members who desire an alternative to opioids and other addictive, nontraditional medicines.
For over a year and a half, the Ely Shoshone Tribal Council has been working with Tribal Cannabis Consulting, and Complete Compliance Technology (a cannabis compliance software company) to not only provide safe access to medicine for tribal members, but to also eliminate illegal marijuana trafficking and production on tribal lands.
This is the first program in the United States to successfully issue medical marijuana cards to tribal members with qualifying ailments, after a recommendation from a licensed Nevada physician.
The Chairman, Alvin Marques, has worked tirelessly to see this program be built as he sees the potential to not only protect the tribal members from prosecution for utilizing this natural and alternative medicine, and in his words, “the potential financial impact it will have for not only this generation, but for generations to come.”
Keeping with tradition, The Chairman and Tribal Council must make decisions by considering not only the current tribal members, but the members five generations into the future.
The tribe currently has one business from which it generates income for their community, the Silver Sage Truck Stop, but as a large commercial truck stop is now being constructed less than half a mile from their store, the financial impact this will have on the tribe must be actively addressed and the Chairman and Tribal Council have sought to find ways to fund tribal programs and replace potential lost revenues.
Way to go Alvin Marques, it’s good that you and your council members are thinking of our future generations. You have really done a lot for the Ely Shoshone Tribe. I am very proud of you.
“Equal rights for Native Americans”. That statement is at the heart of what this country should mean. Forgive me if I dispense with the political correct rhetoric but, I hate labels so I will not use them here.
Our nation should be ashamed that in our entire history equal rights have never really applied to native tribes of this country. They’re not Indians, natives, red skins, or any other derogatory term you can think of. They are OUR native People. Native as in here first.
We are all equal as people, with the same God Given rights. And they apply to everyone, with no exceptions. “We the People” is all inclusive. That’s why we have our Constitution, to protect those God Given Rights. And while the damage had already been done, the first amendment to that document should have been the inclusion of the native peoples of this country as natural born citizens. But no, we spend countless hours and immeasurable dollars to push for rights for any Tom, Dick, or Harry who cries loud enough, or threatens us, because they think they should have the right to push their lifestyle choices on anyone who disagrees. I believe THAT right is covered under the right to privacy. Yours to do what you want in the privacy of your own home and mine to do the same. We all live under the same laws in this country, oh wait, that doesn’t include everyone. No, we want to change our society to accept anything, no matter how perverted or insanely wrong it is. Thing is, it’s not the majority who are driving these changes, it’s the minority.
Well I think when our public schools started letting ‘identity challenged children’ access to opposite sex restrooms, we crossed a line that can never be uncrossed. Especially since none of these kids are requesting the changes it’s their parents, for the lack of a better term.
So let me get this equal rights thing right, you the minority, think that we the majority should be required, as in it’s now a law, to participate. Well I have news for you, this country just decided enough is enough. So when you children, think staging walkouts is your right, because you don’t agree with something, think on this a while. You have no rights to protect you, not really. I’m not even sure why they walked out except to protest the election of a president. Frankly I don’t care. No child has enough life knowledge to protest anything. I know that Trump’s desire to overturn Roe vs. Wade really offends people. I guess the murder of over 54 MILLION babies since 1978 is fine. Because reality is, the actual percentage of cases that were aborted for legitimate reasons is negligible at best. No, I think the real reason is bad enough we don’t need to make any up. But I’m sure that none of those students even knows nor really cares who or why 54 MILLION children were brutally massacred. Just ask the people of color (any except white), different race, or even religion. Because they were and still are the target of Roe vs. Wade.
Anyway, I consider myself privileged to be able to witness the beginning of the end. While I know I will be long dead before there’s any real change I now have hope for our future.
I am proud to call the Shoshone people friend, neighbor, brother & sister. My prayers are that you prosper and grow to be the proud people you are.
Wow. O.K., Stacy –
That’s a hard act to follow.
Kinda just threw up all over the place everywhere with that.
In the meantime… “to also eliminate illegal marijuana trafficking and production on tribal lands” Have you ever tried (law) enforcement?
(And) “to find ways to fund tribal programs and replace potential lost revenues”
Even with so many types of businesses that a group with assistance could start, but that’s the one you pick? That one. Not other forms of retail, not gaming, not a whole broad variety of other potentially lucrative things – you just rush strait to weed (?)
Ever run a projection on what a little weed/head shop might take in versus, say… a casino? Or a Walmart on tribal land?
Just seems like it might be more about the weed than the revenue, but what do I know. Clearly it’s not about keeping the weed OUT of White Pine county.