Recreational marijuana use will be legal this Wednesday and there is no plan to directly share government tax revenues from the sale of cannabis with Indigenous communities according to Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction Minister Bill Blair.

Blair and Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott answered questions from members of the Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples on Oct. 3 about how the Cannabis Act impacts Indigenous communities.

Tax revenues from cannabis sales are being divided by the provinces, territories and Ottawa.

“The government is dedicated to advancing a new fiscal relationship with Indigenous communities based on the need for sustainable, sufficient, predictable and long-term funding arrangements,” Blair said.

Philpott stated that Indigenous people will benefit from marijuana legalization.

“We will continue to work with Indigenous communities to make sure that additional resources are in place if needed,” Philpott said.

Seven Indigenous cannabis producers and 19 producers with an Indigenous partner have received marijuana licences from Health Canada.

(Photo: Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott and Onion Lake Chief Wallace Fox sign MOU. Photo by Joel Willick)