Chiefs call for moratorium on N.S. cannabis raids after last week’s highway protests
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HALIFAX – Mi’kmaw chiefs in Nova Scotia are demanding a moratorium on RCMP raids on cannabis stores in their communities.
The call from Maw-lukutijik Saqmaq, also known as the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs, comes after First Nations communities blocked a number of provincial highways last week in protest of increased police raids in their communities in recent months. First Nations leaders have claimed they have a treaty right to sell cannabis, which the provincial government denies.
The assembly said in a release Thursday that it wants a moratorium on raids until it has had a chance to have “real nation-to-nation” talks with the province. It said despite claims from Minister of Justice Scott Armstrong and Premier Tim Houston, no one from the provincial government has reached out to the group to set up a meeting and its requests have gone unanswered.
“We have long offered solutions to the provincial government on how Mi’kmaq could exercise our right to self-govern and still be transparent with them on how we intended to manage the sale of cannabis in our communities, but Nova Scotia has not been open to having any conversations with Mi’kmaw leadership,” assembly co-chair and Glooscap First Nation Chief Sidney Peters said in a statement.
Tensions have been on the rise since the province issued a directive to police for a crackdown on what it calls illegal cannabis shops in December. The provincial government only allows cannabis sales through the Crown-owned Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation and has linked unregulated cannabis sales to organized crime, claiming profits help fund human trafficking.
The Justice Department said in a statement it had just sent a new letter to the chiefs on Thursday, offering to meet and discuss the shared objective of “supporting community, ensuring public safety and respecting the law.”
The letter, addressed to the Assembly of First Nations of Nova Scotia, says any discussions around enforcement should be sent to local police. It repeated the province’s previous offer of a regulated model through the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation that the government said would see profits flow back to First Nations communities to support local services while ensuring safety.
“We would like to understand why there has not been an interest in this safe, regulated model and are prepared to meet and discuss,” said the letter.
“However, for any such meeting to be productive it must be grounded in transparency, and we are asking for a clear commitment from leadership that this will be the case.”
As part of this request for transparency, the government asked in its letter for chiefs and band councillors to proactively disclose any personal or family financial interests and benefits derived from existing or planned cannabis retail operations.
“This level of transparency is essential to ensure that discussions are focused and community centred,” the government said in the letter. “If there is a willingness to make these disclosures, we believe that a productive discussion that places community at the core is possible.”
Protesters set up multiple blockades in reaction to an RCMP raid on an unregulated Indigenous cannabis shop in Cape Breton’s Potlotek First Nation on April 2. Nearby Highway 4 was blocked, along with additional protests of varying degrees on Highway 102 near Shubenacadie, Highway 105 at Whycocomagh and Exit 36B of Highway 104.
Houston called last week’s blockades “unlawful” in a social media post over the weekend, but the assembly said Thursday that all Canadians have a right to protest under the Charter.
“While Premier Houston may not agree with the mechanism communities chose, he cannot control how individuals choose to exercise their rights,” assembly co-chair and Eskasoni First Nation Chief Leroy Denny said in a statement.
In his social media post, Houston maintained there exists no recognized treaty right to sell cannabis. He said the unregulated market is dangerous because of packaging that looks like candy, high THC levels and a lack of oversight.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2026.
