One Upstate New York Indian tribe is ready to open New York's first legal marijuana shop. Here's what we know so far.

According to New York Upstate, the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe in Northern New York is potentially beating non-Indian nation weed retailers to the market. The state’s first legal sales of marijuana could take place sometime soon on the St. Regis Mohawk (Akwesasne) territory, which sits along the U.S.-Canada border near Hogansburg in Franklin County.

The Mohawks are the first Indian nation in New York to take such a step, although a Long Island tribe is also working on it. New York state legalized adult use recreational marijuana on April 1. The law immediately allowed those over 21 to possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana. But the state can’t issue licenses for businesses, including retailers, until it staffs the agency and control board that will write the regulations. That process is currently at a standstill."

So here's how the tribe acted so quickly. Late last month, they adopted their own tribal ordinance legalizing marijuana for adult recreational use. The ordinance went further than the state’s law by setting up rules for growing and processing marijuana and licensing retail shops. One very important rule is that everything from “seed to sale” must take place on tribal territory.

So far, the tribal council already has received more than a dozen applications for marijuana licenses. No licenses have yet been issued, and the tribe has not announced a timetable for doing so.

As of the time of this article being published, there is no time table or opening date for a shop, or even an exact location. We will update you when we learn more.

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