' We are fully operational despite the Canada Post Strike - orders will be fulfilled by Purolator and UPS"

Vernon, B.C., cannabis shop reopens after province seizes product

1592366050 Vernon B.C. cannabis shop reopens after province seizes product | News

[ad_1]

A Vernon, B.C., cannabis shop without a provincial licence has reopened after its product was seized by the province.

The decision to continue on is part of the store owner’s advocacy for more Indigenous inclusion in B.C.’s cannabis industry.

“I want to be involved in pushing the industry forward in a productive, positive manner,” Tupa’s Joint owner Cory Brewer said.


READ MORE:
Vandals target Vancouver’s Gassy Jack statue, considered a symbol of Indigenous oppression

Brewer, an Okanagan Nation member, feels First Nations people were left out of the development of provincial cannabis regulations.

He feels opening the shop in Vernon was a way to assure that concerns about Indigenous inclusion in the industry weren’t ignored.

Story continues below advertisement

“It would let the province know that we are serious about being included in negotiations and going forward within the cannabis industry,” Brewer said.


READ MORE:
Vernon partially lifts cap on downtown cannabis shops

For the entrepreneur, having an off-reserve shop is also about Indigenous rights.

“We are asserting ourselves within our traditional territory and I’m not trying to hide anything or break the law, Brewer said.








Okanagan retailers mark one year since federal legalization of cannabis


Okanagan retailers mark one year since federal legalization of cannabis

Vernon has more than a dozen provincially licenced pot shops that are already open or coming soon.

“There is so much opportunity within the cannabis industry right now; it’s a new, budding industry. There is opportunity for more diversity and inclusion and Indigenous consultation. I do think we need to consider that,” said Sarah Ballantyne, who owns Spiritleaf, a provincially-licensed cannabis shop in Vernon.

Story continues below advertisement

“We have spent so much time obtaining a licence so it would be helpful if everyone followed the same rules, but at the same time I can understand what’s happening.”


READ MORE:
Splatsin Indian Band writing its own rules for on-reserve pot shops

The B.C. government said it is “committed to supporting Indigenous participation in the emerging cannabis industry.”

“The province has a joint working group on cannabis with the First Nations Leadership Council, which serves as a key forum for identifying and engaging in Indigenous interests in cannabis,” the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General said in a statement.

However, the provincial ministry responsible said private stores without a provincial authorization are illegal and subject to escalating enforcement.

Brewer stands by his products and is not ruling out licencing in the future.


READ MORE:
Okanagan gets legal cannabis shop for Canada Day, a year later than some expected

He hopes the discussion his store has started leads to more cooperation and inclusion, not conflict.

“I’m trying to develop a guideline or a framework for us to work together to see this out in a proper way where First Nations are involved and we are successful,” Brewer said.

Story continues below advertisement

The province did announce a online guide on Tuesday that it said will help Indigenous and small-scale cannabis producers navigate licensing.

© 2020 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.


[ad_2]
Source link

Leave a Reply