Membertou forges ahead with own cannabis law while seeking federal recognition – CBC

May 11, 2026

Retired Canadian senator Dan Christmas pushing for Cannabis Act changes

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 community of Membertou on a proposed new cannabis law, said it’s time the federal government fulfilled its promise to include Indigenous authority over marijuana in its legislation.

It has ceded control in other areas of jurisdiction. Recently, Christmas presented a Senate committee with a clause to be added to the Cannabis Act, which became law in 2018, that would recognize First Nation self-government rights.

Read More: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/membertou-cannabis-law-federal-recognition-9.7193191