RCMP Rejects Claims Linking Cannabis Shops to Guns, Trafficking

Nova Scotia's Royal Canadian Mounted Police have rejected claims by a provincial cabinet minister that unregulated cannabis dispensaries are involved in selling firearms and facilitating human trafficking. The statements by Minister of Lnu Affairs Leah Martin, made during a legislative committee meeting on March 27, have intensified tensions between the government and First Nations communities amid a crackdown on illegal cannabis sales.

Martin told the committee that raids on dispensaries had uncovered a range of illicit items beyond cannabis, including guns, psilocybin mushrooms, cocaine and even women. Her remarks echo earlier assertions from Premier Tim Houston, who linked unregulated cannabis to fentanyl contamination, and Justice Minister Scott Armstrong, who connected the illegal drug market to human trafficking. Police statements, however, indicate no evidence supports the fentanyl or trafficking claims.

In an email response, RCMP spokesperson Allison Gerrard confirmed that officers seized 18 firearms during searches in the Southwest Nova district, along with cocaine and mushrooms at various storefronts. Yet she emphasized there is no basis for firearms trafficking...