In addition to the 42 operators that are part of the second cannabis store lottery there also 8 licenses for selling cannabis granted by the province on First Nations Land.

One of those is Nipissing First Nation.

Chief Scott McLeod is not impresssed with the way it was handled by the province.

“We have inherent rights to create laws and opportunities in our own lands and the province really has no jurisdiction on First Nations lands,” he says.

He told BayToday they operate on a nation to nation basis with Ottawa and they see the province as a lower level government.

“The federal government has to come to the table and work with First Nations because it’s nation to nation. That’s how treaties were signed,” he says.

The licensed cannabis store will be located at the Bineshii Business Park.

Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli says he’s thrilled Nipissing First Nation was able to have a successful application to be one of the eight First Nations locations for retail cannabis.

(photo by Chris Dawson BayToday)

Filed under: cannabis, Chief Scott McLeod, Nipissing First Nation