Many of these shops are small and far from big cities, and there’s an internal dispute over the legality of about a dozen operations on the St.
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.
The tribal government last year tried unsuccessfully in court to close seven dispensaries they say opened illegally.
Marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, although New York and 17 others states have legalized recreational marijuana.
A gleaming new “superstore” called Budders is on track to open along the Mohawk reservation’s main strip in mid-April — with a tribal license.
“We know that there’s a big market for cannabis,” White said.
The Cayuga Nation, which already sells marijuana at two of its stores in the Finger Lakes, plans to open a cultivation facility before the year ends.
And near the eastern tip of Long Island, the Shinnecock Indian Nation is working with two outside companies on a cultivation facility and dispensary.