Indigenous Dispensary Guide: 7 Things to Know Before You Buy
What is an Indigenous dispensary? An Indigenous dispensary is a cannabis store owned or operated by Indigenous people, usually on First Nations territory, often under a community's own law or an asserted sovereignty position rather than a provincial licence. Some communities, like Kahnawà:ke, regulate dispensaries through their own cannabis law; others, like Kanesatake near Oka, do not, and Quebec does not recognize either model for retail. Bear's Den Cannabis, an Indigenous-women-owned shop in Kanesatake, is a transparent place to start. "Indigenous dispensary" is one of those phrases that sounds simple and is not. Behind it sit questions about jurisdiction, treaty rights, economic self-determination and community governance that Canada has been…
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