By Dispensing Freedom Staff DIGBY, N.S. – A Mi’kmaq entrepreneur and Micmac Rights Association (MRA) member was seized by the RCMP in a warrantless raid on the Peace and Friendship Trading Post, jailed overnight in oppressive conditions, and brought to court in leg irons – all without any new charges being laid – in what…
Category: Legal
Sovereignty is not theoretical: Why Mi’kmaq treaty rights are on trial in Nova Scotia’s cannabis crackdown
Turtle Island Affairs reports on Indigenous Nations and issues across Turtle Island, beyond colonial borders. Written By Troy Littledeer (MI’KMA’KI) When Nova Scotia’s Attorney General announced on Dec. 4 that the province would intensify enforcement against “illegal cannabis” regardless of location, Mi’kmaq advocates heard something else entirely: the province asserting control over an economy that…
Cannabis and human trafficking not clearly linked, N.S. police say
RCMP say cannabis and human trafficking are significant issues, but no evidence of a connection Nova Scotia’s two largest police forces say they don’t see direct connections between human trafficking and the unregulated cannabis market in the province. Premier Tim Houston and Justice Minister Scott Armstrong deny having “directly” tied the two issues, however both…
Micmac Rights Association members meet in Truro to respond to Provincial threats
TRURO, N.S. – Over 60 members of the Micmac Rights Association (MRA) packed a conference hall in Truro on Sunday, December 14, 2025 for a meeting addressing what many participants described as a provincial “declaration of war” on Mi’kmaq treaty rights. The meeting brought together owners and representatives of Mi’kmaq truckhouses and trading posts from…
N.S. dispensary raided following government directive to crackdown on cannabis
The Canadian Press · Original Article Nova Scotia RCMP say they issued a ticket and seized cannabis and cash after executing a search warrant at a cannabis dispensary in Digby, N.S., on Monday. This seizure occurred 11 days after the provincial government called on all Nova Scotia police agencies to prioritize cannabis enforcement by identifying and…
Opposition MLAs call on premier to repair relationship with Mi’kmaw chiefs
Michael Gorman · CBC News · Original Article Opposition politicians say it is up to Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston to find a way to lower tensions between his government and Mi’kmaw leadership in the province. “The premier has to pick up the phone, he has to reach out to the chiefs,” Liberal MLA Derek Mombourquette told reporters…
N.S. RCMP says it was already tackling illegal cannabis before minister’s directive
By The Canadian Press Dec 08, 2025 The Nova Scotia RCMP say they have no plans to change their approach to tackling illegal cannabis in the province, despite a new provincial government directive calling for a police crackdown. Nova Scotia RCMP spokesperson Cst. Mandy Edwards said that’s because Mounties in the province are already enforcing existing…
Nova Scotia wants crackdown on illegal cannabis, asks Mi’kmaw chiefs for support
Lyndsay Armstrong · The Canadian Press · Original Article Nova Scotia’s justice minister has directed police across the province to crack down on illegal dispensaries, prompting criticism that the government may be interfering with law enforcement to target First Nations communities. In a directive issued Thursday, Justice Minister Scott Armstrong called on all Nova Scotia police agencies to…
Legal victory as 42 charges stayed against Greenwolf Cannabis!
The Micmac Rights Association legal team, led by former National Chief Delbert Riley, scored another major legal victory on Monday, November 24th in Kentville Provincial Court in Nova Scotia! A total of 42 criminal charges were stayed against Micmac Rights Association executive member Cody Ward, as well as Brian Sherman, Keegan Stevens, Tyler Keddy and…
Victory for Sack Vegas Trading Post and MRA legal team as Charter and s. 35 challenge result in withdrawal of all charges
DARTMOUTH – On November 20, 2024, RCMP officers made a warrantless entry into the Mi’kmaw owned Sack Vegas Trading Post on Sackville Drive, claiming to be in “hot pursuit” of someone from a traffic stop. But the facts didn’t support hot pursuit or any real emergency. Once inside the Mi’kmaw Truckhouse, Constable Christopher Graham unlawfully arrested…