Saskatchewan’s justice minister says the province is open to discussing a retail cannabis operation on the Muscowpetung First Nation but it must be done within the government’s existing legal framework.
The First Nation is currently operating such a marijuana business on-reserve and says they don’t need to the province’s blessing to do so.
However, Justice Minister Don Morgan says this not exactly how the government sees it.“They asked some questions and we had some discussions,” he says of meeting that took place Monday between Muscowpetung Chief Anthony Cappo and government officials. “If it comes down to an issue of jurisdiction, then we’re off the court. If it’s something we can work through, we’re welcome to have that discussion.”
The province has given out roughly 60 permits in Saskatchewan to apply to become a recreational retail marijuana dispensary.
First Nations in Saskatchewan who hold permits include Onion Lake Cree Nation, the Lac La Ronge Indian Band and Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation.
As of yet, none of these communities has acted on their permits.
At the same time, Morgan says the government is open to expanding the number of retail marijuana permits.
Yet, even if this does happen, the government simply cannot allow any retailer to operate outside the existing structure, he says.
“You know we’re pretty direct. We have a legislative framework for licensing cannabis retailers in the province. And there’s a price and a value to an individual cannabis retailer and you can’t have that watered down or diminished by somebody running an unlicensed one nearby where people would go to.”
Muscowpetung has the full support of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations and File Hills Qu’appelle Tribal Council which both say First Nations have a sovereign and inherent treaty right to sell marijuana on-reserve whether they are provincially licensed or not.
While the government has been very clear that Muscowpetung is breaking the law by operating a retail cannabis outlet without a licence, the justice minister has been unclear what concrete steps the government might take to ensure compliance if the First Nation continues to refuse to cooperate.
(with files by Dan Jones)
(PHOTO: Saskatchewan Justice Minister Don Morgan. File photo.)