Little Beach Harvest Dispensary Sets the Bar High in Southampton

It’s been nearly three years since New York State legalized adult-use cannabis on March 31, 2021, but the South Fork only just began enjoying our first recreational dispensary, Little Beach Harvest, before Christmas. And what a dispensary it is.

Owned and operated by the Shinnecock Nation at 56 Montauk Highway in Southampton, Little Beach Harvest is positioning itself as the place to be, especially over the summer, when throngs of New Yorkers and out-of-towners will roll in ready to celebrate this new era of getting well and getting high without fear of arrest or judgement.

The brand-new building is 5,000 square feet of modern glass and blonde wood with long cases full of just about every THC, CBD, CBG and hemp concoction one could want — whether that’s eating a delicious edible and blasting off to another planet, micro-dosing a gummy for improved sleep or reduced anxiety, puffing on a joint or vape to get creative, or rubbing on some cream to help a nagging physical ailment.

“They all come for that one thing that brings them together, and that’s cannabis,” Little Beach Harvest Brand Specialist Jay Wright says, explaining the wide variety of people who shop there. “It’s all different ranges of why people need it, but I think from what I’ve noticed, everyone here is very much happy with us being open, because they see the potential for the tribe, and they see the benefit of the wellness.”

Wright points out that LBH is building a community with both Indigenous Shinnecocks and those who come from outside the tribe through events and activities centered on the shop. Right now, they’re hosting gatherings for individual brands, but a spacious upstairs, complete with expansive balcony, may eventually be home to a smoking area, art exhibitions, educational talks and more.

“I want to make this place the hub, the connection point for these events we have. Because the community is what’s important — the Shinnecock community and the outside surrounding community, because that’s what helps propel,” Wright continues. “This plant is a medicine. I want to make sure people understand that and understand what it was always used for is bringing people together.”

Every aspect of LBH feels safe and above board with a bit of high-end Hamptons flavor. The Shinnecock Nation cuts no corners when it comes to following the law and ensuring no one there is underage. Before one enters the main shop floor, a receptionist buzzes guests into a separate antechamber where they scan IDs and then buzz people into the shop, making it virtually impossible for someone under the age of 21 to slip through unnoticed. And everything they sell follows a strict set of state and tribal standards.

“We want to give you premium stuff and make sure you understand we are doing it here, and we take the precautions to get it tested, that we have the (certificates of authenticity) on the products, they’re real. They’re not bad stuff. It’s important,” Wright says.

While LBH’s vast selection of products includes items that do not have THC — the psychoactive compound that produces a high from marijuana — cannabis products that do contain THC are all made by Shinnecocks on Shinnecock land, or they come through other Indigenous tribes through trade agreements.

“Everyone has their own facility where it’s all done above board. Everything is legal, everything is safe and they take pride in their work,” Wright says before reciting a list of Shinnecock-based and Indigenous brands, such as Raindrops Greenery, Stoney Shore, Peshaun, Eastern Botanicals, Big Boy Budz, Cann tonics, Sparkd and many others.

“These brands, each one means something. Even if they’re not Shinnecock,” he explains. “They still hold the picture, they still represent the same thing, they still want the same thing. A lot of them are advocates for Indigenous people.”

Wright reiterates how important it is that the entire Little Beach Harvest operation follows the law. “That gives everyone else a bigger picture of who we are and how serious we’re taking it, that we’re not about to just go buy off the black market and buy some s–t, put it in here and sell it to you. That’s easy,” he explains. “It’s against the whole point of what we’re trying to be, who we are, what harvest means. Little Beach Harvest: That’s supposed to stand for something,” Wright says. “Shinnecock people have always been harvesters. We harvest the land, and then we share the bounty.”

And they are doing just that.

Visit littlebeachharvest.com for more info. Local delivery is available through leafly.com.