The Kwaw-Kwaw-Apilt First Nation near Chilliwack has written its own cannabis law to replace the federal Cannabis Act and licensed its own cannabis store on reserve land.
They are not alone.
First Nations from B.C. to Nova Scotia are in a jurisdictional uprising over the manufacture and sale of recreational cannabis on their lands, including the powerful Six Nations government in Ontario, where they are also drafting their own regulations.
“First Nations reserve lands are not under provincial jurisdiction,” said Darwin Douglas, a Cheam councillor, who is advising the Kwaw-Kwaw-Apilt. “First Nations are writing their own cannabis laws and standards that meet or exceed federal and provincial standards.”
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