Indigenous cannabis: a historical and modern perspective

Native Flower sits on Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, and the question of why a dispensary operates here — and under whose authority — comes up often enough that it is worth answering properly.

Plants and trade, before contact

Indigenous nations across the Americas held detailed working knowledge of the plants in their territories. That knowledge was practical and specific: which plants were harvested when, how they were prepared, who held the knowledge, and how it was passed on.

Cannabis itself is not native to this continent. Hemp arrived with European settlement, and by the 1600s it was being grown widely in the colonies — largely for rope, sailcloth and paper, which is what the crop was valued for at the time.

Prohibition, and who it fell on

Cannabis was prohibited in Canada in 1923, in a bill that passed with almost no debate and no scientific basis on record. The prohibition that followed was not applied evenly. Enforcement fell disproportionately on Indigenous, Black and poor communities — a pattern documented in Canada and in the United States, and one whose effects did not end when the law changed.

Legalisation in 2018 did not undo that history. It created a licensing regime that was expensive to enter, and Indigenous communities were largely not consulted about how it would apply on their own territory.

Sovereignty and the dispensaries on treaty land

Native Flower operates as a sovereign Indigenous provider on sovereign, treaty-recognised land. That is the basis on which the business runs, and it comes from the treaty relationship rather than from a provincial licence.

That relationship is not a loophole. Treaty rights are constitutionally recognised, and the question of jurisdiction over commerce on treaty land is a long-running one that Indigenous nations have argued consistently for a very long time.

What that means walking in

In practice it means the same things any responsible store does. We are 19+ and we ask everyone for ID. We are careful about what we say and do not say about what we sell. And we would rather answer a question honestly than sell you something you did not want.

If you have questions about any of this, ask them. Ask us anything. We have time.

More about the shop itself — who’s behind the counter and what we carry — is on the about page. And this conversation is better in person: directions and drive times are here.