From APTN News by Cierra Bettens & Jesse Staniforth May 15 2026 Amid RCMP raids on unlicensed cannabis dispensaries in Mi’kma’ki, some First Nations leaders are calling for changes to Canada’s Cannabis Act. This week on InFocus, APTN online reporter Jesse Staniforth, who wrote a story about what some leaders are calling for to clarify the law,…
Category: Media Story
Second cabinet minister admits touring pot facility ahead of raid
Indigenous affairs minister says he wants to find ways to integrate First Nation pot sales into the provincial system From The Telegraph-Journal by John Chilibek Local Journalism Initiative May 13 2026 It turns out more than one provincial cabinet minister recently toured a First Nation pot facility that would eventually be raided by the RCMP….
Membertou forges ahead with own cannabis law while seeking federal recognition
Retired Canadian senator Dan Christmas pushing for Cannabis Act changes From CBC by Tom Ayers May 11 2026 Membertou First Nation is pressing ahead with its own cannabis law, amid a Nova Scotia crackdown on unlicensed retail outlets and federal government indifference over self-government rights. Retired Canadian senator Dan Christmas, appointed to engage his home…
RCMP cannabis raids won’t ‘hamper’ N.B. First Nations pot sale discussions: minister
From GlobalNews via The Canadian Press by Eli Ridder May 8 2026 New Brunswick’s Indigenous Affairs minister says he isn’t worried a recent series of raids by the RCMP in three different provinces will derail his negotiations with First Nations to improve controls over the sale of cannabis products. The April 26 raids targeted what…
Amid Nova Scotia raids, senators hear calls for Indigenous sovereignty over cannabis
‘After eight long years, we’re still dealing with the same issues,’ Dan Christmas tells senate committee. From APTN by Jesse Staniforth May 1 2026 A former senator says First Nations should have a protected right to control cannabis in their communities without interference from provincial authorities. Dan Christmas, from the Mi’kmaw Membertou First Nation, spoke…
How a tiny First Nations community in N.S. is grappling with the burning issue of cannabis
Glooscap First Nation is consulting before a vote on its first cannabis law From CBC by Elizabeth Chiu April 13 2026 n a road leading to the Glooscap First Nation, a community of a few dozen homes near Hantsport, N.S., a sign points to the band administration office. Next to it, a placard with cannabis leaves…
First Nations set up highway protests after Nova Scotia RCMP raid Potlotek cannabis dispensary
From The Halifax Examiner by Suzanne Rent April 3 2026 Dozens of members of Sipekne’katik First Nation and Millbrook First Nation organized protests on Thursday morning within hours of the news that Nova Scotia RCMP raided a cannabis dispensary on Potlotek First Nation.* Heavily armed RCMP officers raided the Sikku Shop on Highway 4 around 7:30am. A…
PRESS RELEASE: RCMP launches raids across Mi’kma’ki, Micmac Rights Association responds with Action Plan
February 24, 2025 Caption: A collection of images and screenshots from recent RCMP raids. Beginning on February 4, 2025, the Nova Scotia RCMP initiated a series of raids targeting Mi’kmaq-owned truckhouses and residences across Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia) many of which belong to Micmac Rights Association members. These raids are ongoing, and while details are still…
Micmac Rights Association denounces RCMP violence, theft and treaty breaking as Mi’kmaw truckhouses and homes are raided
Feb 7th, 2025 MI’KMA’KI – On February 4-5 the RCMP raided multiple Mi’kmaw truck houses that were causing harm to no one and operating on unceded Mi’kmaw lands in accordance with constitutionally protected Mi’kmaw aboriginal and treaty rights. The Micmac Rights Association denounces the unlawful actions of the RCMP in raiding treaty truckhouses, violating the…
Halifax Regional Police trample on Mi’kmaq Treaty Rights
In an interview with Dispensing Freedom, Mr. Durfee stated that when the Halifax Regional Police/RCMP – led by Detective Constable Jeffrey Seebold – raided Amu Leaf, the officers displayed significant “ignorance and racism” in their conduct. Durfee says that the officers “ripped all of our treaty materials off the walls and shredded them, tore down all our signage from the walls, and smashed all of our security cameras.”