Indigenous Cannabis Entrepreneurs Choose Between Government Red Tape And Reserve ‘Red Markets’
Cannabis Culture
Thu, Nov 30
Key Points
- There are a dozen cannabis stores located on Alderville First Nation reserve in Ontario, known as "The Green Mile."
- These stores are part of the "red market," which operates outside of provincial dispensary laws.
- The cannabis sector in Canada has an annual GDP of approximately $10.8 billion and supports many jobs.
- While cannabis is federally regulated, wholesale distribution and retail are overseen by provinces and territories.
On Alderville First Nation – a reserve south of Roseneath, Ont. – a dozen cannabis stores make up a short stretch of Highway 45, in what’s been dubbed “The Green Mile.”
Since Canada legalized cannabis in 2018, the sector’s annual GDP sits at about $10.8-billion, sustaining tens of thousands of jobs across the country. While cannabis is federally regulated, the oversight of wholesale distribution and retail is in the hands of provinces and territories.
The dispensaries on The Green Mile mostly fall outside that sector. They’re part of a different market – one that is, surprisingly, not operating under provincial dispensary laws. It’s what Indigenous industry experts call “the red market.”
– Read the entire article at The Globe and Mail.