💸 The Tape

What began as a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on drug policy turned into a political showdown over sovereignty, cannabis, and Carolina turf wars.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) came armed with posterboards, pumpkin-spice-flavored outrage, and accusations that the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) is marketing marijuana to minors and moving product off tribal land in violation of federal law. His target: the Cherokee’s legal cannabis operation on their 57,000-acre Qualla Boundary, about 50 miles west of Asheville.

Tillis asked Attorney General Pam Bondi, testifying before the committee, whether DOJ would investigate the matter. Bondi, ever the polished prosecutor, promised her team would “look at that issue.”

The Cherokee were less than amused. Principal Chief Michell Hicks fired back that Tillis’s claims were “inaccurate, offensive, and ego-driven,” insisting the tribe’s cannabis business operates “squarely within federal and tribal law” and adheres to strict safety and transparency standards. “Senator Tillis’ attacks are not about legality; they are about ego,” Hicks said.

Tribal Tensions and Political Subtext

Tillis’s beef with the Cherokee isn’t new—and it isn’t just about cannabis. The senator is a longtime ally of the Lumbee Tribe, the 55,000-member group from southeastern North Carolina still fighting for full federal recognition. The Cherokee have historically opposed the Lumbee’s recognition efforts, arguing they bypass traditional federal channels. Tillis, taking the feud personally, told McClatchy: “I’m going after the Cherokee because they’re part of the casino cartels... We’re going to go to the mat for [the Lumbee].”

“Teleportation” and the Buc-ee’s of Pot

Tillis questioned how the Cherokee move marijuana from farm to dispensary, quipping that “the science of teleportation hasn’t been perfected yet.” Bondi agreed it would be illegal to transport cannabis beyond tribal boundaries, since marijuana remains banned under North Carolina law.

Then came the kicker: Tillis compared the Cherokee dispensary to “the Buc-ee’s of pot,” referring to the massive Southern convenience-store chain. “People line up, traffic’s stopped, it’s amazing,” he said—while warning that customers can’t legally leave the boundary with their purchases.

Hicks responded coolly: “He’s right about one thing—we are an island, and we are a stronghold of culture, integrity, and self-determination.”

Bigger Picture

While Tillis insists he’s “not anti-cannabis,” his call for a “national framework” to regulate dispensaries—covering flavor bans, Chinese imports, and federal excise taxes—suggests another front in America’s ongoing cannabis culture war.

And for now, at least, the Cherokee’s pumpkin-spice-flavored weed remains both a legal gray area and a political lightning rod deep in the Blue Ridge.

📈 Dog Walkers

Florida Bill Has Patients’ Backs

What’s Going On Here: Florida Sen. Tina Polsky (D–Broward County) is once again taking up the fight for medical marijuana patient protections—this time, targeting discrimination among public employers.

Her new bill, SB 136, would make it illegal for state or local government agencies to fire, demote, or refuse to hire someone solely because they’re a qualified medical cannabis patient. There’s a caveat, though: if an employer can prove that cannabis use is impairing job performance, the protection goes up in smoke.

Polsky’s proposal also introduces a due-process safeguard for workers. If a drug test flags an employee or applicant for THC, the employer would have five business days to notify them of their right to explain or contest the result. That could prove vital for workers who use state-approved medical cannabis off the clock but still test positive.

The bill faces an uphill climb in Florida’s GOP-controlled Legislature, where similar efforts have repeatedly stalled in past sessions. Earlier versions would have covered all medical marijuana patients statewide, but this year’s bill zeroes in on public employees—perhaps a strategic narrowing to gain traction.

Polsky has also filed a companion measure, SB 130, which would block courts from using a parent’s medical marijuana patient status to deny custody or parental rights.

Florida now boasts nearly 900,000 registered medical cannabis patients—the largest patient population in the nation—yet remains without employment protections seen in half of the 38 states where medical cannabis is legal.

As Polsky puts it, Florida’s laws are overdue for an update: “Being a patient shouldn’t mean risking your paycheck or your parental rights.”

Sara Carter Plays Dodge Ball

What’s Going On Here: President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is playing it cool — or perhaps cautious — when it comes to cannabis rescheduling and medical marijuana reform.

In written responses to Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sara Carter declined to take a firm stance on either issue, instead pledging to “comply with all federal laws” and “work with the interagency to examine all facts and evidence.”

That bureaucratic phrasing came after Durbin reminded her of a 2023 episode of The Sara Carter Show, where she called cannabis for medicinal purposes “a fantastic way” to treat pain and side effects from illness. When pressed on whether she’d support federal medical legalization, Carter repeated her line: compliance, consultation, and consideration — but no commitment.

Booker tried another angle, asking whether scientists or prosecutors should decide drug classifications under the Controlled Substances Act. Carter, once again, stayed neutral, saying she would rely on a “comprehensive approach” that balances risks and benefits.

The non-answers come as Trump’s administration weighs whether to finalize cannabis rescheduling from Schedule I to Schedule III, a process initiated under President Biden after HHS determined in 2023 that cannabis has accepted medical use and low abuse potential.

Carter’s cautious tone may be strategic — avoiding controversy before her confirmation vote — but it also signals a familiar Washington posture: defer, delay, and let someone else take the political hit.

In short, Carter didn’t light up the hearing room — and that’s exactly the point.

🗞️ The News

📺 YouTube

Trump’s New Drug Czar: Sara Carter’s Cannabis Stance Revealed | TDR Cannabis in 5

What we will cover:

✅ If you’re ever injured in an accident, you can check out Morgan & Morgan. You can start your claim in just a click without having to leave your couch. To start your claim, visit: https://www.forthepeople.com/TDR

Trump’s newly nominated Drug Czar, Sara Carter, just cleared a key hurdle in the Senate — and her remarks are already shaking up the cannabis industry. Carter has voiced support for medical marijuana and expanded research access, but she stopped short of endorsing federal rescheduling. That silence is raising serious questions about how far the Trump administration plans to go on cannabis reform.

In this episode of TDR Cannabis in Five, presented by Dutchie, host Shadd Dales breaks down who Sara Carter is, what her confirmation means for U.S. cannabis policy, and why this nomination could define the direction of federal reform. Reported first by Marijuana Moment, this development isn’t just another D.C. headline — it’s a potential turning point in how Washington handles cannabis.