Police in London, Ontario closed at least two Indigenous-owned cannabis stores on August 21 as part of an enforcement action. Ontario Provincial Police say they will provide more information on the raids later this week.
Police have in the past said the stores, Spirit River Cannabis, were on their radar going back nearly two years. In 2022, OPP told CBC they were looking into the stores after the grand opening on Dec. 3 at its 72 Wellington St. location in London.
Since that time, a second location at 685 Richmond St. has also opened. Both these stores were targeted this week by OPP in these most recent enforcement actions, with both locations being closed and, according to at least one eye witness, officials carrying away products.
“This property has been closed,” reads an interim closure notice posted by OPP on one of the business doors, as shown in a picture posted online. Local media have also now confirmed the closures. The notice goes on to say anyone wishing to enter the premises must receive judicial permission or face the possibility of charges like breaking and entering.
The business has a poster outside both locations noting sections 25 and 35 of the Canadian Constitution Act. Section 35 of the Constitution Act says that the existing aboriginal and treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada are recognized and affirmed. Section 25 ensures that the designated rights and freedoms of Indigenous peoples are protected.
Some Indigenous store owners and other legal experts have argued that federal and provincial cannabis laws don’t apply to Indigenous-owned cannabis businesses. While the majority of these stores have opened on recognized treaty territory, some have opened on traditional lands outside of those treaty territories. The latter tend to be more likely to face enforcement by police or bylaw officers.
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