Moratorium on cannabis
Cannabis has been a controversial topic in town for years. Courtesy Canva
Though retail sale of cannabis has never been legal in Kahnawake, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) has enacted an official 45-day moratorium, acknowledging “renewed opposition” from community members on the matter.
“Really this is to start trying to engage with the community and really going over, asking if people are aware of what’s in the regulations, and everything that’s listed in there,” said MCK grand chief Cody Diabo.
“I think that we need to do this step going forward to really break down what the issues are. I think it’s important to listen to everybody, we’ve been getting calls for full support of a regulated industry, and then, of course, people who don’t want an industry at all in the territory.”
A previous moratorium on retail sale of cannabis was lifted in its entirety last year, having been initially enacted in 2018. Right now, all retail sale is illegal in Kahnawake, and the three available dispensary licenses have not yet been granted to any applicants.
Diabo said that MCK and the KCCB will be engaging the community in public meetings, facilitating information campaigns about cannabis retail sales, and addressing misinformation about the proposed regulated industry throughout the 45 days.
“It’s about how we balance all of those opinions and all of those positions and try to come up with something that’s acceptable for everybody,” Diabo said.
Once the moratorium is finished, on July 25, MCK will evaluate the information gathered and consider a path forward, Diabo said.
The news comes as Mohawk Trail Longhouse and the 207 Longhouse present a united front on the issue, having both met with MCK in recent weeks to share their opposition.
Ka’nahsohon Kevin Deer was at those meetings on behalf of the Mohawk Trail Longhouse, and said it’s crucial that community members stop the plans for dispensaries moving forward.
“What the Council should abide by is the decision of the women, and the people of the Longhouses did not entertain this idea,” Deer said. “The so-called businesspeople that think this is the way to go should take a real, deep, hard look at the state of the community already.”
Both Longhouses released a joint press release on the issue last week, stating that the “responsibility to close the door on a cannabis industry in the community falls upon the MCK.
The moratorium does not affect businesses with cultivation licenses.
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