Two years after the creation of the Six Nations Cannabis Commission, with the aim of regulating the cannabis industry on the territory, a cannabis law has been enacted.
Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council (SNGR) adopted the law on June 9 with a coming into force date of June 21, 2021.
The newly revised cannabis control law formalizes the establishment of the Six Nations Cannabis Commission (SNCC) as the sole regulatory and licensing authority over cannabis production and sale on Six Nations Territory so as to safeguard the health, safety, and security of the public, elected council said in a press release issued Monday.
Since SNGR adopted the original, provisional version of the law in 2019, the SNCC was set up and has begun accepting licence applications. The SNCC has announced that multiple applications have now been received in both the production and retail licensing categories.
Upon the coming into force of the law on June 21, the SNCC will be legally empowered to issue licences to any successful applicants once the relevant application review processes have been completed, the press release noted.
“Significant community feedback was received through focus groups, correspondence, and public engagements by Chief and Council,” read the press release. “In enacting this law, SNGR is asserting jurisdiction as governing authority over the regulation of the cannabis industry and is taking an aggressive approach in asserting its law-making powers in accordance with the general conviction of our community that Six Nations laws should apply on Six Nations Territory.”
SNGR Elected Chief Mark Hill said, “Our community has always been clear that the cannabis industry, producing a product that can be a mind-changer, needs to be credibly regulated in accordance with our Haudenosaunee values so as to minimize, if not eliminate, any potential risk to public health, safety and security. This new regulatory regime will ensure protection of our natural and built environment, prevention of monopolistic or improper business practices, and community contributions directed to the well-being of our people.”
He added, “Council’s finalization of the Six Nations Cannabis Control Law is a strong, pro-active step towards securing a safer, more prosperous, and more self-determined future for our community.”
Six Nations Elected Council said by passing the law, it is asserting Six Nations of the Grand River’s inherent right to self-determination, which includes the right to freely determine its political status and freely pursue its economic, social and cultural development.
Elected Council also noted that,”it is illegal to operate an unlicensed or unregulated cannabis facility on Six Nations Territory. Illegal activity on Six Nations Territory presents a grave threat to the safety and health of our community, and in particular our children. This Six Nations legislation, and any enforcement actions taken against breaches of the Law, will directly contribute to the protection of our children and the upholding of our Haudenosaunee values.”
Elected Council encouraged Six Nations community members wishing to engage in the legal production or sale of cannabis at Six Nations to obtain a licence from the SNCC and to conduct business in compliance with its applicable rules and regulations.
Six Nations licence applications for prospective producers or retailers, along with additional information, may be found on the SNCC website at sncannabis.com.
