New York State may have legalized recreational marijuana but damn are they slow to dole out licenses to retail dispensaries. They are only now about to start reviewing applications though they did grant cultivation (growing not selling) licenses in April 2022, according to Chris Alexander, the director of the New York State Office of Cannabis Management. Still, the pace of getting retail licenses out the door makes one wonder if Mr. Alexander and his team are toking up instead of focusing on the necessary paperwork. No worries though, remote Native American tribes throughout the state are taking matters into their own hands.
With fun names like “Devil’s Lettuce” and “Platinum Gushers,” tribes have, without state licenses, started selling marijuana out of shipping containers and makeshift stores. As long as the sales happen on tribal lands, it is “outside [the] purview” of state officials so party on friends. Thinking ahead, tribal members Ross John and his son, Jay John, in Salamanca, NY are looking to book cannabis tourists at their White Pine Lodge and serve up such delights as weed-infused slushies, bong hits, and an assortment of edibles. Where there is opportunity, there is the “white man” and the clock is ticking for these tribal groups. Soon dispensaries will open statewide—maybe as early as this year—and NY state will want its cut, taxing everyone up and down the supply chain. Ultimately, the tribes will have to play ball and get on board or else…
Root, Jay, and Jesse Mckinley. “10 Gallons of Gas and a Free Joint: Tribal Pot Shops Thrive in New York.” The New York Times, 4 Oct. 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/10/04/nyregion/marijuana-native-american-indian.html.
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