Newly introduced government regulations in Nova Scotia are enabling Mi’kmaw Indigenous communities to open legal marijuana dispensaries on their lands. They will be required to obtain their merchandise from the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC) — the province’s only designated supplier.
The move was announced on Apr. 4 in an attempt to reduce local crime. Several illicit pot shops, often called “truckhouses,” currently sell cannabinoid products throughout their reservations.
“We’ve spoken with Mi’kmaw leaders across the province, and they have raised concerns about the sale of illegal cannabis in their communities,” Nova Scotia politician, Timothy Halman, said in a news release on behalf of provincial finance minister John Lohr.
The maximum quantity these new stores will be permitted to sell per transaction is 30 grams. This limit is the same throughout Nova Scotia and the rest of Canada’s provinces and territories.
There are 13 Mi’kmaq communities in the Maritime province. Their dialect is officially recognized as Nova Scotia’s first language. They have inhabited its lands for at least 10,000 years and are one of North America’s oldest Indigenous groups.
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Development follows major bust on Mi’kmaq reserves
In late February a major drug bust shined the spotlight on the pervasive issue of illegal weed distribution on Mi’kmaw territory.
RCMP conducted a large-scale raid on a string of 13 illicit dispensaries and seized about C$1.2 million worth of illicit marijuana, psilocybin goods, guns and black market cigarettes.
“The revenue from these dispensaries isn’t going into Indigenous communities—it’s funding organized crime,” RCMP Superintendent Jason Popik said.
One particular organization with ties to the Indigenous group was quite upset about the occurrence and said that it was a violation of their sovereignty. The Mi’kmaq Rights Association wholeheartedly disagrees with Popik.
“These businesses were bringing economic advancement to our communities, not criminal activity,” the association said.
Twenty-one people were arrested in connection with the operations.
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