Back in 2020, Cory Brewer ran an off-reserve cannabis store without a license, stating he had the sovereign right to do so because of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act enacted by the Province of BC in 2019. He refused to shut down despite being raided by the CSU, and his message was clear: "Our products are our medicine and we will not be applying for a license to operate as a sovereign indigenous entity in our own traditional territory.”
Rob, Cory's lawyer, is an award-winning international cannabis and psychedelics lawyer with a mission to reform drug laws. The two of them filed a lawsuit against the government to uphold Cory's sovereign indigenous rights to cannabis. This episode is a deep dive into the complexities of indigenous law and where colonial law falls short.
7:30 - Cory's intro
9:32 - Robert's intro
15:53 - Cory's early journey into cannabis entrepreneurship
16:53 - Explanation of UNDRIP and DRIPA
21:26 - What is the structure of indigenous government?
33:12 - The OKIB cannabis framework
37:12 - About TIMIXw wellness
41:31 - Tupa's Joint and starting a business off-reserve
43:37 - Jurisdictional differences on and off-reserve
56:06 - How are UNDRIP and DRIPA actually being implemented?
58:26 - What are the goals for the lawsuit?
1:04:08 - Evidence of ancient use of cannabis and plant medicines by indigenous people
1:05:51 - First Nations are the first 'agricultural innovators'
1:06:50 - What are the technical terms of the lawsuit?
1:13:05 - Will their case make changes in areas other than cannabis?
1:23:50 - Viewer questions begin
1:36:57 - Final thoughts and requests for aid
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