SIX NATIONS — On Tuesday, February 4 it was announced that the Six Nations Cannabis Commission will be hosting community engagement sessions to collect feedback on the Six Nations Cannabis Control Law.
The Commission has been mandated to review the law on a yearly basis and make any recommendations for amendments to the law to Six Nations of the Grand River. The Commission has identified the following groups as stakeholders to the Cannabis Law within the community: Educators and Parents, Youth and Elders, Cannabis Businesses, Six Nations Residents and Six Nations Community Service Providers.
These stakeholders are invited to participate in focus groups where they may give collective feedback on the areas of the Cannabis Law that relate to their grouping.
“As the largest First Nations community in Canada, Six Nations has a variety of perspectives about how cannabis, its use, and the cannabis industry will impact the community,” said Six Nations Cannabis Commission Chairperson Nahnda Garlow. “It is important that all of those perspectives are honoured, given the time and space to be heard and all feedback taken into consideration in this review of the law.”
The commission wrote that community voices will also be given an opportunity to provide feedback on the Cannabis Law through completing a survey that will be available both online and in print at the Six Nations of the Grand River Central Administration building.
The first meeting will be a focus group for those interested in working in the cannabis industry on Six Nations in any capacity at the Six Nations Social Services Gym on February 12, 2020, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Dates and times for focus groups for Educators and Parents, Youth and Elders, and Six Nations Residents will be announced on the Six Nations Cannabis Commission Facebook page and in local media.
An older update from the Six Nations Cannabis Commission was released on January 30, forwarded from Candace Lickers, communications officer for the Six Nations of the Grand River Elect Council (SNGREC).
Each of the responses have been quoted as answers from the commission as a whole:
Confirmation that the cannabis commission is being dissolved and that the regulations to be created are being contracted out to Deloitte or local lawyer Kim Thomas? Who made the decision? Why was this decision made?
“No, the Commission has not been dissolved. SNGR made a decision and public statement on August 2, 2019. It reads in part that the council will “continue to recruit the SNCC staff and other industry experts to support the Commission”. Administrative staff were hired in the fall. Industry experts are being sought to assist in the work but to date, no one has been retained.”
Who sits on the commission?
“Currently the Cannabis Commission includes Cole Squire, Audrey Hill and Chairperson Nahnda Garlow. Former commission members include Nick Wyman, who was removed by council in July 2019 and Derek Miller who resigned in September 2019.”
What is the council’s position on the cannabis industry on Six Nations?
“In the August 2 statement, SNGR announced a moratorium on cannabis permits until the regulations are finalized. According to the Six Nations Cannabis Law, Six Nations of the Grand River is occupying the jurisdiction of cannabis regulation and legislation on Six Nations at the exclusion of the federal and provincial governments of Canada.”
Why won’t the council create cannabis regulations?
“The work is ongoing. As part of SNGR’s External Committees reviews, the Six Nations Cannabis Commission made a presentation to the council on December 13. Following up the SNGR General Council motion on December 17 to hold a public cannabis meeting, the Six Nations Cannabis Commission is preparing for a community review of the Six Nations Cannabis Law.
The Commission will be conducting a number of community engagement sessions in the coming weeks to get feedback from all Six Nations stakeholders on the Six Nations Cannabis Law.
Media will get advance notice of the dates and times of those meetings and are welcome to attend.”
More about the Six Nations Cannabis Control Law:
On February 25, 2019, Six Nations of the Grand River passed the Six Nations Cannabis Control Law after receiving feedback gathered from a number of community engagement sessions over the fall and winter months of 2018. The passing of the law is aimed at providing health, wellness and safety for all members of Six Nations of the Grand River while securing economic sovereignty leading to the prosperity of present and future generations.
ABOUT THE SIX NATIONS CANNABIS COMMISSION:
In May 2019, Six Nations of the Grand River established the Six Nations Cannabis Commission to administer the Six Nations Cannabis Control Law in the best interest of the people of Six Nations, in accordance with the highest principles of health, safety, security, honesty and integrity.
For more information contact Samantha Powless via email: samanthapowless@sixnations.ca
