- Details
- By Brian Edwards
- Food | Agriculture
The Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians has expanded its cannabis operations with the opening of its third Red Falcon Tribal dispensary in Yucca Valley, Calif, marking continued growth in tribal cannabis enterprises nationwide.
The new dispensary, which opened December 7 on sovereign reservation land along California’s Route 62, joins existing locations in Twentynine Palms and Coachella. The Coachella facility includes a food and beverage lounge with outdoor patio space, which the tribe identifies as the first of its kind in the United States.
The expansion comes as tribal participation in the cannabis industry continues to grow. Approximately 85 tribes are currently involved in cannabis operations through regulation, cultivation, testing, processing or retail nationwide, according to Mary Jane Oatman (Nez Perce), founder and executive director of the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association. The list of tribes getting into the cannabis business is “growing like a weed,” Oatman wrote in a text to Tribal Business News.
The broader U.S. cannabis market was valued at $33.6 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 12.1% through 2030, according to San Francisco-based Grand View Research.
Red Falcon's cannabis products are cultivated on the Coachella Reservation to ensure quality control and consistency, according to Mark Malatesta, the tribe's consultant for Red Falcon dispensaries.
"The staff at Red Falcon strive to provide our customers with quality, lab tested products servicing the needs of our customers," Malatesta said in a statement.
Tribal Chairman Darrell Mike emphasized the tribe's commitment to economic development while maintaining cultural connections.
"The Tribe has a rich history in the upper desert dating back in memoriam, but we also have an eye towards the future," Mike said. "These communities are at the forefront of the Tribe's vision and we will continue to support them and hope residents will learn more about our Tribe and history."
The new dispensary operates seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians' reservation spans two counties and is separated by Joshua Tree National Park.
