Native American Marijuana sales grow in New York скачать в хорошем качестве

Native American Marijuana sales grow in New York

(25 Mar 2022) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4372619 As New York inches toward launching an adult marijuana market, sales are flourishing on some Native American land around the state. Shops selling buds and edibles dot the main road through the U.S. side of Mohawk territory straddling the Canadian border. In the Finger Lakes, the Cayuga Nation is selling marijuana at two stores. Native Americans have opened more stores on Seneca Nation territory in western New York. Many of these shops are small and far from big cities, and there is an internal dispute over the legality of about a dozen operations on the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation. But they show how Native Americans have been able to tap early into what is expected to be a multi-billion statewide market. Native American proponents say the sales are an expression of their sovereignty and a way to bring much-needed economic activity to reservations. "I think this is a relief valve for our visitors, our friends, our families," said William Roger Jock, a partner in Good Leaf Dispensary on Mohawk territory. "We have been stepped on for so long and to have something like this happen, it's almost liberating." New York legalized adult recreational marijuana a year ago, though statewide retails sales appear months off. State officials say initial sales could begin by the end of the year under a program providing the first licenses to people affected by marijuana-related convictions. Regulations for the entire adult-use market are expected to be released this summer. In contrast, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council, which governs the American side of Akwesasne, adopted an adult use marijuana ordinance last June so they could grant licenses to tribal members. Businesses must pay fees to support community-based programs and services. But shops opened on the American portion of Akwesasne without licenses from the tribal government. Jock and others say their operations are approved by the longhouse, a traditional political and spiritual institution. Jock said his business contributes to the people of the longhouse. The tribal government last year tried unsuccessfully in court to close seven dispensaries they say opened illegally. This month, the government issued cease-and-desist orders against six more, though at least some of the stores appeared to be still open this week. A gleaming new "superstore" called Budders Cannabis Store is on track to open along the main strip in mid-April with a tribal license. CEO Ryan White seemed unfazed by the existing competition, saying the store's size and selection of regulated, locally grown products will help give them a longterm advantage. "We know that there's a big market for cannabis," White said. "We see people as far as 50 miles away coming in. They come in for gas and for tobacco products, and we're going to be targeting them too." There are also dispensaries on the Canadian side of the reservation, which has a different tribal government. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...