New Cannabis Regulations Support Legal Sales in Mi’kmaw Communities

April 4, 2025

Mi’kmaw communities will be able to open legal cannabis retail stores on reserve by agreement with the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC), with new regulations introduced by the government.

“We’ve spoken with Mi’kmaw leaders across the province, and they have raised concerns about the sale of illegal cannabis in their communities,” said Timothy Halman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, on behalf of John Lohr, Minister of Finance and Treasury Board. “These changes will allow bands to open a legal store for those who wish to buy and use cannabis.”

The NSLC is currently the only authorized cannabis seller in Nova Scotia. The new regulations will allow a band, or a band-owned corporation, to become an authorized seller within their community through an agreement with NSLC to set up a legal retail store. Any cannabis stores in Mi’kmaw communities will sell cannabis purchased through the NSLC.

The regulations require cannabis to be retailed in a socially responsible manner. Authorized Mi’kmaw sellers must:

• sell cannabis in its original package
• sell no more than 30 grams of dried cannabis, or the equivalent, in one transaction
• only sell at the authorized, permanent location
• allow no sampling on the premises
• display a certificate issued by the NSLC indicating they are authorized cannabis sellers
• follow the NSLC’s responsible retail training and guidelines, ensuring cannabis products aren’t sold to minors or those who are impaired
• follow all Health Canada requirements.

There are currently no plans to authorize other third-party cannabis sellers.

Quick Facts:

• there is one on-reserve NSLC location that sells cannabis; it opened in Eskasoni in Cape Breton in September 2022
• there are 50 NSLC cannabis stores across the province, selling more than 630 different products
• in 2023-24, NSLC cannabis sales totalled $121 million

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