Warning to those selling illegal recreational cannabis

06/15/2018

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke would like to inform the Community that until such time as Canada, Quebec and Kahnawà:ke pass laws that permit the strictly regulated sale of recreational cannabis, it remains illegal to sell or purchase from an unauthorized and unlicensed source.

Once cannabis becomes legal for recreational purposes (in September 2018), it will only be legal to purchase from a licensed and authorized retailer. All unlicensed and unauthorized sellers of cannabis are and will remain subject to strict criminal sanctions.

Currently, only medical cannabis can be legally purchased from a Health Canada licensed producer, with a note from a physician, and is only delivered via mail.

For the purposes of clarity, for medical purposes only, there are no licensed or legal sources of production or sale in the Territory of Kahnawà:ke at this time.

The Kahnawake Mohawk Peacekeepers do have full authority to make arrests and those found guilty will be prosecuted, regardless if the laws change.

“We are being proactive by creating a law that regulates this new industry,” said Grand Chief Joe Tokwiro Norton. “Without a law, individuals are subject to prosecution by existing laws for any illegal activity that involves cannabis, and we don’t want to see what is happening with other communities happen here.”

The Kahnawake Mohawk Peacekeepers have arrested two people in relation to a marijuana dispensary which recently opened on the Territory. The same laws are in still in place. Further, a moratorium is in place on the sale and distribution of illegal cannabis in the Territory until such time as the Kahnawà:ke Cannabis Control Law is adopted.

The use and sale of illegal cannabis is dangerous to any user as there is no telling what is in the product, which is why, amongst other reasons, it remains illegal.