Falls dispensary a 'first step' for Seneca Nation in larger effort to grow cannabis business
Apr. 13—NIAGARA FALLS — When asked Wednesday morning if he ever thought he'd see the day when the Seneca Nation of Indians would own and operate its own marijuana dispensary, Nation President Rickey Armstrong Sr. offered a two-word response.
"Not really," said Armstrong, who has been involved in Seneca Nation government for decades and is currently serving now in his third term as Nation president.
When Seneca Niagara Casino opened more than 20 years ago, in a time when the sale of recreational marijuana was still illegal in New York, few could have imagined the casino footprint would one day include Nativa Cannabis, a 2,500-square-foot space where people over the age of 21 can legally purchase all manner of cannabis products, from prepackaged flower and pre-rolled joints to vape pens, concentrates, extracts and edibles.
Armstrong said that while he may not have envisioned cannabis as a way to grow revenue and diversify when the Senecas got into the casino business, today he believes cannabis sales in the Falls will not only benefit the Nation and its people but will also serve as another draw for visitors to the city.
"I think anytime you have customers come into the territory that it benefits the community," Armstrong said.
The Seneca Nation president also described Nativa Cannabis as a "first step" in a larger, ongoing plan to increase the Nation's investment in the growth and distribution of marijuana products.
Plans are in the works for the development of a 90,000-square-foot marijuana cultivation operation on Seneca Nation territory in the Southern Tier. Seneca leaders have been working with Portland, Maine-based Opus Consulting on its plans for a nation-owned, "vertically integrated cannabis industry," eyeing a piece of New York's cannabis sales market which is expected to grow to $2.6 billion by 2027.
"We're building for our Nation's future and economic sovereignty and supporting thousands of individuals, families and businesses across Western New York in the process," Armstrong said.
"It's just the latest achievement," he added, referring to Nativa Cannabis. "We're looking at more development and diversifying our revenue sources. It's just another step. we don't have a tax base so whatever revenue we generate we take directly back to services for our people."
While Armstrong addressed members of the media during the grand opening event for Nativa Cannabis inside the building, dozens of eager customers waited in a line outside at the entrance door for their first opportunity to browse around and maybe buy a thing or two.
People who visit Nativa Cannabis, located at located at 765 Niagara St., next to the Seneca-owned Seneca One Stop fuel station, will need to be at least 21 years old to purchase any products. All customers are required to show identification at the door before being allowed inside.
Customers will also be able to place orders online for pickup at Nativa Cannabis, which has its own dedicated drive-thru window for pickup orders.
The store's general manager Brittany Moore and Nick DesLauriers, a business consultant with Opus Consulting, said at least until the Nation fully develops its own cultivation operation, products sold at Nativa Cannabis will come from private producers on Seneca Nation territory. While the store is not regulated by the state of New York, they said all products are subject to testing by a state-regulated testing facility.
DesLauriers stopped short of discussing any potential revenue projections for the cannabis store, saying only that the Nation and his company are confident the investment will pay off.
"Like any business, we're optimistic about this being a profitable business for the nation and we are excited to see where things go," he said.