Curve Lake First Nation ought to "be bold" and open cannabis stores or start growing marijuana commercially for others to legally sell, said the majority of members who responded to a recent survey or attended focus group sessions.
Posts published in “Dispensing Freedom”
AKWESASNE MOHAWK POLICE SEIZE CANNABIS, CANNABIS EXTRACTS, AND CURRENCY On January 7, 2020, the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Marine Unit (SAVE) was conducting pro-active marine patrols on the St. Lawrence River monitoring boating activity.
Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation is teaming up with British Columbia-based company Indigenous Bloom to create a new wholesale cannabis business on reserve land.
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.
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.