A second cannabis store on Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc land held a widely-attended grand opening today.

Indigenous Bloom has several stores around B-C and its newest is on Chief Louis Way.

Board member and chief of the Shxwha:y Village near Chilliwack, Robert Gladstone, says cannabis is a huge economic opportunity for Indigenous people.

“In our village, we had no jobs. 2 years ago we had like 5 people working. I have 90 people working in my community today. “You ask what this represents? A life change, creating a standard of living that didn’t once exist. It means I’ve empowered my people to move up to a middle class living standard out of poverty. It means hope… Growing our economy, at the same protecting our identity,” Gladstone says.

There are now two retail cannabis stores open on the Tk’emlups reserve, and the band’s chief says there has been a lot of demand for retail cannabis on the reserve and says more stores could open.

Rosanne Casimir says it’s all about compliance with the band’s bylaws and development processes.

“We definitely welcome new business ventures and opportunities. We empower our membership to take on that entrepreneurial endeavour and we’re here to support them.”

As for the band’s local bylaws on retail cannabis, which allow edibles to be sold, Casimir says they are registered with the First Nations Gazette – the reference for First Nations laws in Canada – and says the federal government is fully aware of their practices.