Green Aspirations: Complex Issues Surrounding Marijuana Legalization in Tribal Contexts and the Discussions that Follow

Abstract

Marijuana legalization is becoming increasingly common throughout the United States. Several individual states are legalizing cannabis in one form or another. This situation is leaving American Indian tribes and tribal communities in limbo as they circumvent complexities encompassing federal law, Indian law, tribal sovereignty and sovereign immunity. This thesis explores the complexities involved in tribal efforts to legalize marijuana as well as current discussions on these efforts through the analysis of recent newspaper articles.