Special Community Meeting on Legal Cannabis Tonight

10/23/2017

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke wishes to acknowledge that it is aware of the request submitted to the Kahnawà:ke Legislative Coordinating Commission for a law regarding the legislation and regulation of Cannabis within the community. 

This acknowledgement comes as preparations are being finalized for the upcoming Special Community Meeting on Cannabis being held tonight at the Golden Age Club and will begin at 7pm sharp.

“It is interesting that a community member has put so much work into creating a draft ‘Kahnawà:ke Cannabis Act’ and submitting it for consideration,” said Ietsénhaienhs Gina Deer who, with Rhonda Kirby, is one of the Council Chiefs participating on the Cannabis Working Group. “While there is the potential that the community will wish to proceed in this direction, we are preparing for an important Community Meeting specifically on the topic of Cannabis tonight. So, because of the processes we use, it may be a bit premature to look at the submitted ‘Cannabis Act’ as the definitive working document. We still have an official process to follow. ”

“As we’ve clearly indicated for the past several months, there are a great many points to consider in this matter,” added Ietsénhaienhs Rhonda Kirby. “We have less than a year to find ways to deal properly with an issue that has been thrown our way. Canada will most likely pass legislation to legalize marijuana next summer and we, as a community, want to ensure that we abide by the community’s wishes in this very complex matter.” 

The MCK wishes to remind those who are submitting requests for legislation, whether new laws or amendments to existing laws, that sufficient time should be allowed for the requests to be processed properly by the Kahnawà:ke Legislative Coordinating Commission (usually within a week). Those who submit request are being urged to refrain from issuing their proposals publicly until they are vetted properly, as this may actually complicate the process. Requests are not “official” until KLCC issues public notification.