If you want your news/articles to be promoted on this page, send your information to Nigel Gloade, Communications Officer at ngloade@millbrookfn.ca or call (902) 324-3379.
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With the second round of cannabis engagement completed, our next step is to form a community-based Cannabis Governance Committee.
https://www.millbrookband.com/surveys
Background
Since recreational cannabis has become legalized in Canada a number of questions have arose regarding the role of First Nations government in the cannabis industry. Although there are currently no options for recreational cannabis sales outside of the NSLC (provincial) model, efforts are being made on behalf of First Nations across Canada to develop their own regulatory frameworks, which could effectively permit on-reserve cannabis sales.
Millbrook’s “Community Cannabis Survey” was developed by the consultation department, under the guidance of Millbrook Chief and Council (2018 and 2020) to investigate cannabis use trends, opinions regarding Millbrook’s role in regulating cannabis sales and to better understand peoples opinions regarding the presence of unlicensed cannabis dispensaries in the community. The results of the survey will be used by Chief and Council to inform how they move forward with cannabis regulation in the community and will be used to lobby the government, by showing why First Nations should be included in national and provincial decision-making.
The first half of the survey drew upon the work of the First Nation Information Governance Centre’s (FNIGC) Regional Health Survey (RHS) and the Canadian Government’s “Canadian Cannabis Survey” (2019). The “Community Cannabis Survey” borrowed questions regarding demographic indicators, consumption habits, storage, etc. The purpose of using questions from other data sources is to ensure comparability across multiple data sources. This way we can compare Millbrook’s results to national, provincial, and other First Nations research. The second half was led by community and council concerns. This was intended to serve as an opinion poll regarding on-reserve cannabis sales in Millbrook. This section gauged opinions regarding operating cannabis dispensaries in residential areas, Chief and Council’s role in regulation, and using cannabis revenue for community programs.