Business
First Nations fight ‘systemic exclusion’ in Canadian cannabis industry
Some Indigenous leaders believe they’ve been largely excluded from Canada’s multibillion-dollar legal cannabis retail and cultivation industry.
That’s the message Indigenous leaders delivered last month at a Senate committee studying the implementation of the country’s federal cannabis law.
At the Senate hearings held by the Committee on Indigenous Peoples, some Indigenous leaders called for the federal and provincial governments to engage in meaningful dialogue over a carve-out within the federal and provincial laws allowing them to regulate cannabis in accordance with their own principles.
Darcy Gray, chief of Listuguj Mi’gmaq First Nation, said economic opportunities arising from cannabis legalization didn’t seem to be part of the conversations being had between the federal government and First Nations.
“Essentially, we seem to be an afterthought and something to be dealt with once things were set up and the market secured by others. So we recognize familiar patterns of systemic exclusion,” Gray told the committee.
Fully legal cannabis retail and cultivation remain largely absent from Canada’s Indigenous communities.
On the production side, only six of more than 600 cannabis producers licensed by both Health Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency are located on a reserve, implying the federal government has sanctioned, directly or indirectly, very little legal cannabis production in First Nations communities.
Provinces, responsible for retail regulation, haven’t done much better.
Provinces have sanctioned only a handful of stores in Indigenous communities across the country.
At the hearings, Health Canada said it operates the Indigenous Navigator service to assist Indigenous communities’ participation in the production and manufacturing of cannabis.
Health Canada said there were 47 indigenous-affiliated or owned commercial producer businesses.
The regulator allows Indigenous-affiliated applicants to start the license-review process of their application before their facility is built, whereas non-Indigenous companies need to complete their facility before the Health Canada review can begin.
“Since 2016, Health Canada officials have participated in approximately 290 engagement sessions to discuss cannabis legalization and regulation, which has informed how Health Canada administers the Cannabis Act,” an agency representative told the committee.
“Since 2019, Health Canada has had discussions with an increasing number of interested First Nations developing their own cannabis-control measures ‘to explore mutually beneficial cannabis arrangements within the existing framework of the Cannabis Act.’”
Economic opportunity
Gray said Listuguj Mi’gmaq First Nation established its own cannabis law and set up stores under interim rules.
“Six years later, we’re still on the outside looking in on many aspects, despite putting in place many pieces to ensure our participation in the industry,” the chief told the committee.
He also suggested Indigenous communities are missing out on public health benefits from regulating cannabis production and sales on reserves.
“Systemic barriers remain in place. Our best efforts and those of other First Nations seem to be falling on deaf ears, especially when it comes to working with the province of Quebec,” he said.
The chief said “systemic exclusion” from the legal sector sends the message that Ingenious health is of lesser importance.
“Meanwhile, the industry as constructed seems to be floundering and asking for relief in some way, asking for reduced regulations and tax breaks and greater advantages,” Gray said.
“Meanwhile, we’re still pushing for inclusion and a better way forward.”
The chief said he pushed for something along the lines of what became Section 62 in the province of Quebec’s Cannabis Act.
That section of Quebec’s law allows the provincial government to enter into agreements with First Nations regarding cannabis regulation, so long as those deals have the same objectives as Quebec’s law.
Quebec is now five years into legalization, and MJBizDaily understands the province has reached no such deals with any Indigenous communities.
The Quebec government also controls cannabis sales via the government-owned monopoly Société québécoise du cannabis.
But no stores have been opened, or sanctioned, by the province to facilitate access to “legal” cannabis on reserves.
‘Absence of meaningful dialogue’
Dwayne Nashkawa, a strategic adviser for Nipissing First Nation, told the Senate committee there’s been an “almost an entire absence of meaningful dialogue” for the past few years on the part of the federal government.
“There’s been a lot of talk about a high-level of engagement with First Nations about cannabis,” he said, “but beyond the initial round of PowerPoint presentations and group meetings, there’s been almost an entire absence of meaningful dialogue for two or three years now on the federal side.”
Nashkawa called for a more “meaningful” level of engagement from the federal government.
“To make our regime work, we effectively had to adopt most of the elements of Ontario’s regime,” said Nashkawa, who was involved in the development and implementation of the Nippissing First Nation Cannabis Law.
“We view this as an interim approach to provide security to those (businesses) who were making an investment and to make sure the supply is safe and that the actors in the community were from our community.”
Nashkawa said systemic barriers prevent cannabis businesses on Nipissing First Nation from doing business with cannabis businesses on other First Nations.
He said jurisdictional issues include the right to govern economic development in their own territory, “entrenching the ability for our citizens to participate in the cannabis economy.”
“It’s only the federal government that could facilitate and support the firm establishment of those relationships,” he said.
Nipissing First Nation law requires that local vendors obtain a business license from the First Nation to operate a store.
A condition of that stipulation is that the operator must become an authorized cannabis retailer with the government of Ontario.
“We want recognition of this right to participate in the economy free from reprisal and on a fair basis with a level playing field,” he told the committee.
“We also want the legal basis to work with other First Nations on a system of larger collective self-regulation for recreational cannabis so we can provide our retailers with a framework free of provincial (and federal) regulatory priorities.”
‘Adverse impact’
The exclusion of Indigenous-led cannabis regulation in their communities means more than lost business opportunities, some First Nations leaders say.
Tonya Perron, elected council chief for Mohawk Council of Kahnawá:ke, said legalization amplified some negative issues.
“Canada’s legalization of cannabis through the enactment of the Cannabis Act was meant to address and resolve the issues that Canada was facing regarding the illicit market. Unfortunately, it has had an adverse impact on Kahnawá:ke in particular, and on First Nations,” she told the committee.
“Rather than resolving any of these issues, it has actually amplified them and added to those issues.”
She said the main objectives of the Cannabis Act were to protect public safety and health, as well as to provide for the establishment of a diverse and competitive industry.
“Unfortunately, it has failed in meeting these objectives in my community of Kahnawá:ke,” she said.
“There have been significant impacts with respect to public health and public safety on our jurisdiction, and all of this with no economic benefit.”
She said youth consumption has increased, for example.
Regarding policing, she said her territory’s “peacekeepers” lack the resources to monitor and enforce the new rules.
“The Cannabis Act disregarded the First Nations’ right to self-determination and jurisdiction in that it didn’t create a possibility for First Nations to actually regulate the industry outside the federal and provincial frameworks, which led to some of these problems arising, and we’re trying as best as we can to gain control of them,” Perron told the Senate hearing.
“We have made efforts to curb the illicit market in the territory. We’ve imposed a moratorium, created our own law, we have a Cannabis Control Board.
“We’ve made numerous attempts at entering into an agreement with Quebec, to no avail, and now the pressure is building in the community given the fact that there is no legal opportunity.”
Perron said the Kahnawá:ke put enormous resources into cannabis regulation while not seeing economic benefits.
“There is absolutely a need for legislative reform,” she said, “in the sense of a carve-out within the Act itself for First Nations in terms of regulating (production and sale) to have direct access to the Health Canada licensed products within their territories and not through the provinces.”
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/first-nations-fight-systemic-exclusion-in-canadian-cannabis-industry/
Reliance Jio has crossed a significant milestone in its space connectivity ambitions after its proposal to deploy a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation of around 1,600 satellites received a positive technical assessment from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe).
The evaluation, conducted jointly by IN-SPACe, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and the Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) wing of the Department of Telecommunications, reportedly concluded that Jio’s proposed system meets the required technical standards and is comparable to leading global satellite broadband networks.
India’s Indigenous LEO Satellite Vision
Under the proposal, Reliance Jio plans to deploy between 1,600 and 1,650 satellites in Low Earth Orbit at an altitude of around 650 kilometres.
The planned constellation is expected to provide high-speed satellite connectivity across India, with approximately 32 satellites visible from any location at a given time. The company aims to roll out the network within the next two to three years, subject to regulatory approvals.
According to industry estimates, the satellite system could deliver 4.5 to 5 terabits per second (Tbps) of total data capacity, making it one of the largest satellite broadband projects proposed in India.
The project is expected to require an investment of $10–15 billion (approximately ₹95,000 crore to ₹1.42 lakh crore), reflecting the scale of infrastructure needed for satellite manufacturing, launches, ground stations, and user terminals.
Regulatory Process Moves Forward
Following the successful technical review, the proposal is expected to move into the next phase of regulatory approvals.
The government may now assist Jio in securing orbital slots, coordinating spectrum usage, and filing applications with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the global body responsible for managing satellite orbit and frequency allocations.
Obtaining orbital rights remains a critical step, as Low Earth Orbit has become increasingly competitive due to the growing number of satellite broadband projects being planned worldwide.
Officials also indicated that the proposed satellite architecture has been designed to coexist with future Indian LEO constellations, allowing multiple domestic operators to share orbital resources efficiently.
Broadband, Mobile Connectivity, and Strategic Applications
Jio plans to use the satellite network to provide a range of communication services, including satellite broadband, mobile backhaul, enterprise connectivity, and direct-to-device (D2D) satellite communication, particularly in remote and underserved regions where conventional telecom infrastructure is limited.
The company also intends to establish 20 to 22 ground stations across India to support network operations.
Apart from commercial telecommunications, officials have highlighted the project’s potential strategic importance. A domestically developed satellite constellation could strengthen India’s communication infrastructure, reduce dependence on foreign satellite operators, and support national security requirements.
Reports suggest preliminary discussions are underway regarding the possibility of integrating defence-related payloads into some satellites, enabling both civilian and strategic use.
Major Step for India’s Space and Telecom Sectors
Industry analysts view the technical clearance as an important milestone in India’s expanding private space ecosystem. If Jio secures the remaining regulatory approvals and international orbital clearances, the project could become the country’s first large-scale indigenous LEO satellite broadband network.
The initiative also aligns with India’s broader efforts to expand digital connectivity while strengthening its presence in the global satellite communications market.
After evading law enforcement for nearly 13 years, an accused linked to a large-scale pharmaceutical fraud case has been arrested by Delhi Police from Surat, Gujarat. The suspect is alleged to have orchestrated a series of financial scams involving fake identities, forged documents, and dishonoured cheques used to procure high-value pharmaceutical raw materials.
Authorities say the accused, identified as Himmat Singh Lodha, is believed to have defrauded multiple pharmaceutical companies in Delhi of goods worth approximately ₹98 lakh before disappearing and remaining underground for years.
Fake Business Deals and Dishonoured Cheques Used in Fraud
Investigators claim the accused posed as a legitimate pharmaceutical trader and placed bulk orders for expensive drug ingredients, offering post-dated cheques as payment security.
In one documented case from 2013, he allegedly obtained around 550 kilograms of Gliclazide, a diabetes-related pharmaceutical ingredient, valued at over ₹26 lakh. When suppliers attempted to encash the cheques, they were reportedly returned with the remark “account closed.”
Following the transaction, the accused allegedly vacated his office and rented residence and disappeared without settling payments. He was later declared a proclaimed offender in 2016 after repeatedly failing to appear before court proceedings. Authorities had also issued a reward for information leading to his arrest.
Multiple Identities and Repeated Fraud Pattern
Police investigations further link the accused to another cheating case dating back to 2012, where he allegedly used a fake identity, “Kailash Jain,” to obtain a large consignment of Ambroxol HCL, a pharmaceutical compound used in cough medications. The value of that consignment was estimated at around ₹72 lakh.
Officials believe the accused followed a consistent modus operandi—posing as a credible businessman, securing high-value goods on deferred payment terms, and then disappearing after delivery while shutting down business operations.
Investigators suspect that forged business records, fake company credentials, and fabricated financial histories were used to build trust with suppliers and gain access to expensive raw materials.
Multi-State Surveillance Leads to Arrest in Surat
A special Crime Branch team tracked the accused through coordinated surveillance efforts across multiple cities, including Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Surat. After nearly a month of technical monitoring and intelligence gathering, officials located and arrested him from a residential area in Surat.
Authorities also revealed that the accused had been involved in property-related activities while staying under the radar to avoid detection.
Growing Threat of Corporate Identity Fraud
The case highlights a rising trend of organised financial fraud targeting industries that rely heavily on trust-based transactions and deferred payments. Experts note that criminals increasingly exploit gaps in corporate verification systems by using fake GST registrations, temporary offices, and forged documentation to appear legitimate.
Cybercrime and financial fraud specialists warn that such schemes are becoming more complex with the widespread availability of digital business tools, making it easier to create convincing but fraudulent corporate identities.
Experts Urge Stronger Due Diligence in High-Value Transactions
Experts, including former IPS officer and cybercrime specialist Prof. Triveni Singh, emphasize the need for stricter verification procedures in commercial dealings. He noted that relying solely on paperwork or digital business profiles can expose companies to significant financial risk.
Authorities and industry experts recommend physical verification of business operations, bank account validation, and detailed background checks before engaging in high-value or deferred-payment transactions—particularly in sectors like pharmaceuticals, where single consignments can involve transactions worth crores.
Business
EU Pressure Builds on Google as Regulators Face Calls for Massive Fine Over Search Practices
A growing coalition of European industry groups is intensifying pressure on regulators to take decisive action against Google over allegations of unfair search practices that could reshape competition rules across the region’s digital economy.
Investigation Under Digital Markets Act Gains Momentum
The case is being examined by the European Commission under the European Union’s landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA), introduced to curb the dominance of major technology platforms and ensure fair competition.
Launched in March 2024, the investigation focuses on whether Google has been prioritising its own services in search results, potentially disadvantaging rival businesses that rely on online visibility to reach customers.
Industry Groups Demand Swift Action
Several prominent European organizations have jointly urged regulators to conclude the probe without further delay. They argue that prolonged investigations allow alleged anti-competitive practices to continue, putting European companies—especially startups—at a disadvantage.
Signatories include the European Publishers Council, the European Magazine Media Association, the European Tech Alliance, and EU Travel Tech.
In a joint statement, these groups warned that delays in enforcement are affecting innovation, profitability, and growth prospects for regional businesses competing in digital markets.
Google Denies Allegations
Google has rejected claims of bias, stating that its search algorithms are designed to deliver the most relevant and useful results to users. The company has also proposed adjustments to address regulatory concerns.
However, critics argue that these changes are insufficient and fail to address the core issue of market dominance.
Potential Billion-Euro Penalties
If found in violation of the DMA, Google could face significant financial penalties. Under EU rules, fines can reach a substantial percentage of a company’s global turnover, potentially amounting to billions of euros.
Regulators may also impose corrective measures requiring changes to business practices, which could have long-term implications for how digital platforms operate in Europe.
Wider Implications for Big Tech
The case highlights ongoing tensions between European regulators and major U.S. technology firms. In recent years, the EU has taken a more aggressive stance in enforcing competition laws, aiming to create a level playing field for local businesses.
A final ruling against Google could set a major precedent, influencing future enforcement actions and shaping the regulatory landscape for global tech companies operating within Europe.
As scrutiny intensifies, the outcome of the investigation is expected to play a critical role in defining the future of digital competition across the European Union.
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