Two Mohawk communities around the Island of Montreal say despite closing tobacco and cannabis businesses to minimize traffic from outside the community amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, the shops' non-Indigenous clients keep coming.
Dispensing Freedom
In an effort to encourage social distancing, no tobacco, alcohol or cannabis products will be sold in stores on the Kanesatake territory, Grand Chief Serge Simon announced Tuesday.
This past week, Indigenous Bloom – the Semiahmoo First Nation owned-and-operated cannabis dispensary has seen a noticeable uptick in volume. The crowds have been substantial enough to lead some local residents to wonder whether the business is following the appropriate social-distancing guidelines, which discourage groups of people from gathering in close proximity.
Retail cannabis store opens on Tk’emlúps land after being raided and closing in Kamloops. Boomers Bud is now one of at least four retail cannabis stores open on Tk’emlups land. Only one of those, called Yellowhead Cannabis, has a provincial license.
Provincial cannabis distributors across the country are making changes to protect consumers and employees and help deal with a spike in demand amid COVID-19. Cannabis stores warn of delivery delays, no same-day shipping and store closure
Wahta marijuana dispensary closes in 2016 after the operator said police laid criminal charges against him.
The Tobique First Nation is in discussions with companies to set up a medical marijuana grow operation and research facility in the western New Brunswick community.
Eskasoni First Nation concerned about unregulated cannabis sales after two recent incidents involving unwitting consumption of cannabis-laced, intends to open its own soon to sell cannabis and related products under the Mi’kmaq right to self-government.
Garnet and Deborah Avery, owners of Yellek Self Storage in North Bay, Ontario, have co-launched a local marijuana dispensary with other family members. Kana Leaf is the first indigenous-owned cannabis shop in Nipissing First Nation, Ontario.
Cannabis firm layoffs mean migrants must return home. “Most of these workers have families and they are First Nations in Guatemala. They are Indigenous people."