By CHRIS SUTTLE
Chapel Hill, N.C.
On 4/20 I arrived at the dispensary at 9:15 a.m. after picking up my medical card from the EBCI CCB (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Cannabis Control Board) office, barely able to contain my excitement. That excitement continued to grow as I passed cars decorated with signs, adorned with huge weed leaves drawn in bright green Magic Marker and the words “we love the EBCI” written next to it. I was finally here, ready to take part in history by purchasing medicinal cannabis legally in my home State for the first time.
As I got closer to the crowd eagerly hovering under pop-up tents to avoid the early morning rain, I started recognizing faces; patients from all over North Carolina I had assisted with getting a medical card, by helping them self-advocate in the absence of a physician’s signature. Seeing such a huge turnout on opening day brought tears of jubilation to my eyes. I had dreamed of this day for 32 years, a day when the wall that kept cannabis patients in North Carolina dying in the dark finally crumbled, and we would be able to feel the sun on our faces again. Now my dream is a reality, and I am truly humbled to have taken part in such a historic occasion.
When it comes to cannabis confections and gummies, after 32 years there’s not much on the market I haven’t tried. I’ve sold over 100 different brands of gummies in over 10 states as a vendor, and I never had a favorite until I tried the gummies available at the Great Smoky Mountain Cannabis Dispensary.
No unique flavor profile, flavonoid, terpene, or cannabinoid combination can compete with the ingredients that separate the Peach Mango gummies I bought on 4/20 from everything else on the market. Those ingredients are skill, natural talent, and an undying love of the plant. The second the gummy hits your tongue you are overcome with the giddy excitement of the unexpected culinary adventure you are now embarking on. When you instinctively move it to your back molars to chew, it begins to melt in your mouth before you can. You lick your teeth, expecting a lingering residue to find nothing but the delicious aftertaste of the brilliantly balanced natural flavors.
The effects of just 10 mg make themselves known almost as quickly as the gummy dissolves in your mouth. For me, a daily user with a normal starting gummy dose of 50 mg, I was immensely impressed by the rapid release effects of this delectable delight and surprised by the intensity of the high. It wasn’t an overwhelming high, or one that sneaks up on you but a gentle and graceful lifting into another level of consciousness while still being in control of my cognitive abilities.
You can taste the talent and pure love for finally being able to create these tasty treats master chefs Tori Moore and Ryan Tranter pour into every delicious delight that comes out of the dispensary kitchen. Thank you both for creating such a masterful recipe and for making me fall in love with cannabis all over again.
The haven the EBCI and Qualla Enterprises have created for medical patients across NC is built on the compassion the North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA) lacks. SB3 is likely to pass this year, but the limited conditions and extreme over-regulation will leave thousands of patients in need of care. With the ability to self-advocate, the EBCI program will be their only lifeline. Even when a State-licensed dispensary comes to their county, it will be restricted from foot traffic, only accessible by appointment made by your physician, and available only to those that meet one of the State’s 12 qualifying conditions.
North Carolina owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to the EBCI for welcoming all patients in the State with open arms. Will the State return that kindness when medicinal cannabis is legalized by SB3? With this being an election year, there will be a lot of new faces at the NCGA in 2025 if they don’t.
