Pot-delivery app launches for Hamptons, Montauk
Two Shinnecock Nation dispensaries in Southampton plan deliveries on the East End. Credit: Randee Daddona
The owners of two dispensaries on the Shinnecock Reservation have launched an app and delivery service for cannabis products from Southampton to Montauk.
The rollout Monday of the Tribal Dash app comes on the heels of the first legal delivery of recreational cannabis on Long Island a week earlier by Albany-based Legacy Dispensers.
Jasmine and Awan Gumbs, co-owners of the Cloud 9 Dispensary and Conscious Cloud Dispensary, said they developed the app with the ambition of extending it to Native American tribes in other regions, though no timetable for a countrywide expansion exists.
"We believe that Tribal Dash has the potential to be a significant player in the cannabis delivery industry, both locally and nationally," they said in joint written responses to emailed questions.
On Long Island, smoke shops on the Shinnecock and Poospatuck reservations have been selling recreational cannabis products since the end of 2022. Some upstate tribes are doing likewise.
The autonomy of the federally recognized Shinnecock tribe allows for the sale of recreational cannabis on their reservation in Southampton without intervention, New York State regulators have acknowledged.
Less clear is the status of the Unkechaug Nation, a state-recognized tribe that occupies the Poospatuck Reservation in Mastic.
Also unclear is the legal authority of Shinnecock dispensaries to make deliveries it promotes as "tax free" outside the reservation.
In East Hampton, one municipality within the Tribal Dash coverage area, deputy town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez said she hadn’t heard of the cannabis delivery service.
She said board members would need to learn more about the service and discuss it with the town attorney before she could comment on the legality.
“It’s really news to me,” she said.
Southampton Supervisor Jay Schneiderman also said Tuesday he never heard of Tribal Dash, nor was it clear to him without looking into it further whether the company could sell outside the reservation without being subject to taxation.
The owners of Tribal Dash, meanwhile, said they would seek to abide by Shinnecock directives.
"We are committed to operating within the legal boundaries of our industry and ensuring that all deliveries are conducted in compliance with Tribal regulations," the Gumbses said.
The Tribal Dash website promotes "cannabis delivered to your door," and lists pre-rolls, edibles, drinks, topical ointments, vape accessories and flower, which can be smoked or added to baked goods. Listed prices include $45 for a pack of three pre-rolls and $50 for 10 gummies.
Orders also may be placed by phone and delivery times are based on location and order volume, the Gumbses said.
Long Island's recreational cannabis licensees have been slow to open their dispensaries, creating an opening for companies like Tribal Dash and Legacy Dispensers, which requires a $250 minimum order to defray the cost of transporting the product from Albany.
The arrival of Tribal Dash comes just weeks before the Memorial Day launch of the summer season, when the East End and North Fork fill up with visitors from the city in search of surf, sand and parties.
The Gumbses said they hope to market the Tribal Dash service to "cannabis connoisseurs who value quality and convenience."
New York State legalized recreational cannabis in spring 2021. Though regulators have issued several dozen licenses for recreational cannabis dispensaries on Long Island, none has opened.
With Joe Werkmeister
Ken Schachter covers corporate news, including technology and aerospace, and other business topics for Newsday. He has also worked at The Miami Herald and The Jerusalem Post.
