The Shinnecock Tribal Nation said it will continue plans to open its own cannabis dispensary after its partnership with a cannabis holding company ended.
The tribe began its partnership with TILT Holdings, a provider of cannabis business development, in 2021. At an earnings call last week, the company announced it would end partnerships with the tribe and several social equity brands.
Last year, the tribe broke ground on its own medical cannabis dispensary called the “Little Beach Harvest.” It was a project that took seven years to develop before TILT’s involvement. The revenue from the business will help to sustain the sovereign nation and create job opportunities for tribal members.
According to Green Market Report, interim CEO Tim Conder said the partnership was reconsidered after "challenges in New York, including unlicensed operators selling cannabis on Shinnecock land." Conder also said the inability to bring in or sell cannabis products from New York state license holders proved to be a challenge.
"We are undergoing a deep analysis of the future prospects of this partnership to ultimately bring the Shinnecock and Little Beach Harvest on to the next steps on their journey,” Conder said.
The Shinnecock Council of Trustees released a statement regarding the partnership. The Council of Trustees said the tribe plans to move forward with the construction of the dispensary.
"Much like New York state, we as a tribal nation are addressing the unlicensed operators and have made significant progress regarding illegal sales and delivery," they said. "This matter has not caused Shinnecock to delay our development to have the first tribally-owned legal adult-use dispensary on our sovereign land in eastern Long Island."
