Poarch Creek Indians Threaten to Grow Marijuana if Refused Casino License

The Poarch Band of Creek Indians have put the state of Florida in a tough position by requesting approval to build a casino and if the state denies the request, the Creek Indians intend to grow marijuana instead.

The tribe, descendants of a segment of the original Creek nation, already manage three gaming facilities in Alabama: the Wind Creek Casino & Hotel in Atmore, the Creek casino in Wetumpka, and Creek Casino Montgomery. The Indian tribe now wants to expand its gambling operations and build a casino on trust property in Florida, a one-acre site in Escambia County.

Last year, when the Poarch Creek Indians asked Gov.Rick Scott to negotiate a Class III gaming compact, the governor was not in the mood to negotiate and explained that additional determination by the federal government would be needed.

Buford Rolin, tribal chairman, wrote a letter to Scott in 2014 claiming that the Poarch Band of Creek Indians are eligible for a Class III gaming compact because the United States holds land in trust for the PBCI in Escambia County. Representatives for Scott met twice with tribe officials last year but, according to Scott’s spokesman, the governor will not begin negotiations with the tribe.

Chairman of the Poarch tribal council, Stephanie Bryan, has explained that growing marijuana on reservation land is not the main goal for the tribe, but they intend to show Scott that they are very serious about the casino plans.

If Scott refuses to acknowledge that the tribes have the right to conduct Class III gaming operations on their land, they will certainly consider marijuana growing even though it is not their first option. At the moment, only the Seminole tribe has a gaming compact with the state of Florida that recognizes tribal rights to offer Class III gaming operations.

Photo: denniselectric.com