Muscowpetung pioneered First Nations into the cannabis retail business, bucking the provincial government’s licensing system, claiming it has the authority to govern and create laws on its own land. For one year Mino Maskihki has operated on the First Nation, under its own laws and regulations.
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Over 60 people gathered on Thursday, December 19th, 2019 to hear Del Riley, a former leader of the National Indian Brotherhood, and co-author of Section 25 and 35 of the Canadian Constitution, speak about the Indigenous right to run cannabis dispensaries on their own lands. The evening’s event came in the context of a recent raid on an indigenous cannabis dispensary in the territory, and a 50 person strong rally outside of Band Council offices.
First Nations and the provinces should look to US state-tribal Compacts as a pragmatic way forward for cannabis regulation on-reserve.
John Trudell talks to the crowd about hemp as earth medicine at the Portland Hempstalk on September 7, 2013. Footage: Campaign for the Restoration and Regulation of Hemp (CRRH)
Ontario First Nations have the authority to set their own cannabis laws and license their own retail outlets. But federal law still requires those stores to buy from a provincial regulatory body, side stepping the sovereignty of Indigenous communities.
A heavily-redacted memo that appears to have been signed by Ian Shugart as deputy minister of Foreign Affairs — just a month before cannabis became legal — discusses "withdrawing Canada's objections to treaty actions by Bolivia.
There has been confusion over the legality of dispensaries doing business on First Nations land without a provincial licence, selling unregulated cannabis products.
A group of dispensary owners and concerned citizens in Garden River First Nation are advocating to chief and council to remove the community cannabis ban.
Canada’s indigenous peoples are pioneering the billion-dollar bonanza that is the country’s growing cannabis market.
City council voted to allow cannabis stores in Thunder Bay nearly a year ago, on Jan. 15. Since then, a dispensary on Fort William First Nation was shut down by the band, while an operator who was approved to operate a shop was disqualified