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Title: Tribe threatens to grow pot if casino isn't allowed near Pensacola
Source:
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URL Source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/feat ... -marijuana-20150220-story.html
Published: Feb 22, 2015
Author: AP
Post Date: 2015-02-22 19:50:20 by Excalibur
Keywords: None
Views: 634
Comments: 3
PENSACOLA — A small, Alabama-based Indian tribe that wants to expand its casinos into the Sunshine State might adopt a hardball negotiating stance: Let us offer gambling in a few Florida locations, or we could consider growing and selling marijuana on our property. 0 The prospect of selling pot is just one "what if" scenario that tribal leaders say is possible. But what the Poarch Creek Band of Indians want now is for Gov. Rick Scott and the Republican-controlled Legislature to take them seriously and approve a compact with the tribe that would allow a casino. "We are entitled to negotiate a compact with the state," said Stephanie Bryan, chairwoman of the Poarch tribal council. The tribe stakes its claim to negotiate a far-reaching gambling deal on an acre of land it owns in Escambia County in the northwest Panhandle. It's just a few miles from a casino operated by the tribe near the state line in Atmore, Ala. Tribal officials contend that the land has been in tribal ownership long enough to trigger rights guaranteed by federal law. Rejecting a deal with the tribe could spark a lawsuit. It could also prompt the tribe to consider its options, such as whether to sell marijuana on its Florida property. The U.S. Department of Justice in December said tribes could grow and sell marijuana on their lands, as long as they follow the same federal conditions laid out for states that have legalized the drug. So far, many tribes say they're inclined to avoid marijuana sales, amid concerns over alcoholism, poverty, crime and joblessness on tribal lands. Bryan stressed that any decision of that magnitude would need tribal council approval. She said what the tribe wants is a "seat at the table" as the debate over gambling continues. So far the issue has garnered a shrug from the Scott administration. Although the Governor's Office met twice with tribal officials last year, a spokesman for Scott said recently the governor will not negotiate with the tribe. Scott's legal office last fall wrote to Bryan, saying it was "premature" to begin negotiations and that the tribe needs additional recognition from federal officials.
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#1. To: Excalibur (#0)
And if they do, what will happen ?
Si vis pacem, para bellum
Woo woo woo woo! Tribe on the warpath! Warrior braves angry! White man put wrong tabacco in the peace pipe!
#2. To: Excalibur (#0)
" Alabama-based Indian tribe . . . . Let us offer gambling in a few Florida locations, or we could consider growing and selling marijuana on our property. "
#3. To: Excalibur (#0)
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