Tad Sooter

Kitsap Sun

KINGSTON — The Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe is one six Washington tribes seeking agreements with the state this spring to begin marijuana sales, according to a Liquor and Cannabis Board spokesman.

Board spokesman Brian Smith said other tribes pursuing marijuana compacts are the Jamestown S'Klallam, Samish, Spokane, Stillaguamish and Tulalip. Four tribes — Muckleshoot, Puyallup, Squaxin Island and Suquamish — already signed agreements with the board setting guidelines for commercial marijuana ventures.

Port Gamble S'Klallam Chairman Jeromy Sullivan said the tribal council recently directed staff to begin the process of legalizing marijuana for adults on the reservation and explore the potential for opening marijuana businesses. The council will hold a public hearing Monday to gather input on legal marijuana sales. More hearings on proposed marijuana ordinances will follow.

Sullivan said the issue has divided the community, with some members staunchly opposed to legalization. But both opponents and supporters want strong rules enacted to protect youth, he said.

“It was a tough issue for tribal council, it was not unanimous,” Sullivan said. " We need the right laws in place to make sure kids don’t have easy access."

Sullivan said marijuana could help the tribe grow its commercial portfolio, which includes The Point Casino and Hotel, Gliding Eagle Market and Heronswood garden. The tribe has no concrete plans yet for marijuana ventures but is interested in opening a store in the near future.

“It’s really an opportunity a lot of tribes are looking into,” Sullivan said.

The neighboring Suquamish Tribe was the first tribe in the nation to negotiate a marijuana compact in 2015. The agreement with the Liquor and Cannabis Board outlined regulations for tribal marijuana sales that paralleled rules in place for state-licensed retailers. The Suquamish Tribe agreed to charge a tax on marijuana sold to non-tribal members equal to the marijuana excise tax charged by the state. A tribally owned corporation opened a marijuana store on Highway 305 in December 2015.

Jamestown S'Klallam Chairman Ron Allen said his tribe sees many positives to entering the marijuana industry. He noted Jamestown's location off busy Highway 101 on the Olympic Peninsula would be ideal for a store.

"We have a built-in market," Allen said. "It creates jobs, it creates new revenue for our programs, it helps us diversify."

Allen said some older tribal members oppose legalizing marijuana, viewing pot as a gateway substance that can lead to use of other drugs.

"The younger generation says, 'No, we don't agree,'" Allen said.

While recreational marijuana is legal in Washington, it remains banned under federal law, putting tribes in a thorny position as they decide how best to regulate the drug on reservations. The U.S. Department of Justice issued a memo in 2014 opening the door for tribes to legalize marijuana if they regulated the drug in concert with federal law enforcement priorities. New Attorney General Jeff Sessions has hinted the current administration could take a stricter stance on pot.

Allen doubts the federal government will interfere with marijuana in Washington.

"We expect it to be an industry that's here to stay," he said.