Mounties say there’s no evidence supporting some new N.S. government cannabis claims - BERITAJA

The RCMP are dismissing caller claims made by the Nova Scotia government that unregulated cannabis dispensaries are trading guns and women.

The remarks, made by Nova Scotia Minister of L’nu Affairs Leah Martin, are the latest successful a bid of unsubstantiated claims shared by members of the provincial authorities aft it directed constabulary to ace down connected forbidden dispensaries past December, urging First Nations leaders to co-operate to extremity this activity successful their communities.

Martin made the comments during a legislative committee meeting.

“We’ve had 9 deaths successful our organization successful the past month. And I say: ‘Okay, truthful and so, wherever did they get the stuff?’ Like, ‘Well, astatine the shop.’ And I cognize what each this means. And I’ve seen raids that person travel retired pinch this, that, and the other,” she said connected March 27.

“We each cognize immoderate conscionable waste unregulated merchandise (cannabis), immoderate waste overmuch much than that. We’ve seen immoderate that waste guns, immoderate that waste mushrooms, immoderate that waste cocaine, women,” the curate added.

While Martin’s comments appeared to alert nether the radar, immoderate First Nations leaders person said the government’s ongoing rhetoric is villainizing Indigenous communities by utilizing outdated assemblage strategies and undermining their pact rights.

Premier Tim Houston has antecedently said fentanyl was recovered successful unregulated cannabis, while Justice Minister Scott Armstrong has said the unregulated supplier marketplace is linked to quality trafficking. Police person said they person nary grounds to support either of the claims made by Houston and Armstrong.

The comments are feeding into a volatile governmental situation arsenic the authorities comes nether occurrence for a bid of constabulary raids successful caller months that person mostly targeted dispensaries successful First Nations communities. The raids person besides prompted fierce opposition, including 2 impermanent blockades of Nova Scotia highways that caused postulation slowdowns up of the Easter agelong weekend.

When asked about Martin’s comments, a spokesperson pinch the Nova Scotia RCMP said investigators person discovered “other illicit items” while searching forbidden cannabis storefronts, including cocaine and psilocybin mushrooms.

During searches astatine dispensaries successful the Southwest Nova RCMP district, officers seized eighteen firearms. “However, there’s nary grounds to support charges related to firearms trafficking,” Allison Gerrard said successful an email.

“The Nova Scotia RCMP isn’t alert of immoderate grounds showing a nonstop relationship betwixt quality trafficking and forbidden cannabis markets, but some crimes could coexist. That intends overlap is possible, moreover if not documented today,” she said.

A Halifax Regional Police spokesperson said their officers person besides located psilocybin mushrooms while searching unregulated cannabis shops, and “a mini amount of cocaine which was successful someone’s individual possession.”

“Human trafficking and firearms person not been linked to immoderate investigation aliases enforcement HRP (Halifax Regional Police) has been progressive in,” said constabulary spokesperson Cst. Martin Cromwell.

Martin’s agency did not reply erstwhile asked what grounds the curate has for the claims she made, but said she is successful “constant” interaction pinch Mi’kmaq communities and regularly hears from individuals and groups during confidential discussions.

“These conversations are backstage successful nature. We could counsel that a communal thread expressed is the resounding beingness of sedate concerns about the adverse effects of forbidden activity reaching their communities,” a spokesperson for Martin’s section said successful an email.

“In these confidential exchanges, it is expressed many times that organization members are terrified to verbalize their concerns publicly. Concerns about repercussions that could put their information and well-being astatine consequence are genuine and significant,” sounds the emailed statement.

Provincial rule strictly controls the waste of cannabis, which is done done 51 Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. outlets crossed the province.

Since early December, erstwhile the authorities issued its directive for rule enforcement officers to prioritize cannabis, constabulary person staged a bid of raids crossed the province, including astatine dispensaries successful Eskasoni First Nation, Potlotek First Nation, Paq’tnkek First Nation and Waycobah First Nation.

Armstrong besides wrote to 13 Mi’kmaq chiefs, requesting their co-operation to tackle forbidden cannabis sales.

Since the directive was issued, RCMP opportunity 7 of the 11 seizures astatine forbidden cannabis storefronts were wrong First Nations communities.

In March, the assembly of Cape Breton’s Membertou First Nation, led by Chief Terry Paul, passed a solution saying the state and RCMP person nary correct to transportation retired enforcement connected its lands. And the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs issued a connection saying raids person undermined the affirmative activity that had been done to build relationships betwixt the First Nations, constabulary and the province.

The Sipekne’katik First Nation has cited the cannabis directive for banning Martin, Armstrong and the premier from the community.

The state maintains that aggregate tribunal decisions person consistently rejected the thought that cannabis income are a pact right. Meanwhile, location are cases involving Indigenous-owned cannabis operators presently making their measurement done the provincial tribunal system.

This includes Thomas Durfee’s ineligible proceeding. He’s a Mi’kmaq cannabis advocator who asserts he has a pact correct to turn and waste the drug.

His shops are called pact truckhouses — the word utilized for trading posts successful treaties signed by the Mi’kmaq and British Crown successful the 1700s.

In an interview, Durfee said he believes the connection being dispersed by authorities is an onslaught connected Mi’kmaq sovereignty and an effort to vilify First Nations cannabis sellers.

He said the truckhouses ever put wellness and information first, and he challenged Martin to either beryllium her claims pinch grounds aliases resign.

“The lies about our communities are not mistakes. They are tactics. Economic genocide, meant to termination our correct to trade,” Durfee said.

“Mi’kmaq group from Unama’ki to Kespe’k to Ktaqmkuk will not person our pact authorities erased by disinformation. False accusations are a assemblage maneuver of assimilation.”

Meanwhile, Martin said galore families wish their children “didn’t person to thrust by 10 cannabis stores connected the measurement to schoolhouse successful the mornings,” adding that younker acquisition this connected a regular basis.

“And so, I spot that the RCMP are going successful location to do their job, and I support that,” she said.