New 'Medical Cannabis Project' Planned For Shinnecock Reservation

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — A groundbreaking ceremony was held Wednesday on the Shinnecock Reservation for a planned "Medical Cannabis Project."

The Shinnecock Council of Trustees announced the signing and groundbreaking ceremony; all tribal members were invited to attend.

Vice Chairman of the Shinnecock Nation Lance Gumbs said the plan is for a medical cannabis dispensary that will adhere to New York State policy under the Compassionate Care Act; the dispensary, if it receives the green light from New York State, will be located on Montauk Highway near the Shinnecock Nation Cultural Center & Museum.

The tribe will partner with investor Conor Green Consulting LLC, he said.

The medical marijuana will be brought in from other areas and sold at the the dispensary to start, with a plan to possibly grow on-site in the future, Gumbs said. "We're working with New York State to hopefully secure the designation" to sell the medical marijuana, he said.

As the tribe does not yet have final approval from the state, the amount of revenue to be generated has not yet been determined, but Gumbs said the number of individuals served will depend upon the number who have the licenses necessary to purchase the medical marijuana.

The facility will also serve as a health and wellness center, offering acupuncture and other services as well as medical marijuana — will all services meant to promote holistic healing, Gumbs said.

The dispensary, he said, will serve as another economic generator for the tribe.

"It's another one of the slices of the pie in our empty pie pan. Imagine an empty pie plate. We're putting the slices back in, in the form of economic development. This is another economic engine," he said.

Earlier this year, the tribe erected an electronic billboard on Sunrise Highway that has sparked controversy. A gas station is also planned, Gumbs said.

It's critical to pursue a number of avenues for economic development, Gumbs said. "We don't want the tribe to be reliant upon one thing — like some tribes, who put all of their eggs in one basket, such as gaming. We want to diversify our economic interests."

Funds raised will help to staff programs on the reservation, he said.

Wednesday's groundbreaking for the medical marijuana dispensary was the first step "to move the project forward," Gumbs said.