MISSION, Ore. — The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation have removed a barrier to accessing tribal housing.
The Tribes announced this week that they amended their housing department’s drug elimination policy to allow tribal members to test positive for marijuana during the application process, The East Oregonian reported.
The news release said cannabis is still illegal on the reservation, but changing the policy was an acknowledgment that marijuana was legal to consume in Oregon and Washington.
Officials said the policy also recognizes that THC, one of the active ingredients in cannabis, can stay in a person’s system for weeks or longer.
The rule is narrow in application: The Tribes will screen for drugs during the application process, and drugs that are illegal under federal or tribal law still can’t be possessed or consumed while living in tribal housing.