Recommendation to Amend the 2018 Cannabis Act
Written by Jeremy Zafran on 15 June 2023
According to a Senate committee, they say that the federal health minister should amend the 2018 Cannabis Act to recognize First Nations’ right to govern the possession, sale and distribution of cannabis on their lands. In a report tabled yesterday afternoon, the standing Senate committee on Indigenous Peoples says that many problems identified before legalization remain unaddressed, with some First Nations still blocked from the lucrative industry. The legislative gaps have fueled the rise of what some call a “red market” operating under First Nations sovereignty but in defiance of federal-provincial regulations, sparking jurisdictional confusion and potential conflicts with authorities.
The report is titled: “On the Outside Looking In,” with the committee stating that for the last 150 years, First Nations have been excluded from economic opportunities on their lands.
