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REGINA — Saskatchewan’s justice minister says an unlicensed cannabis store on Indigenous land northeast of Regina is illegal.

The Muscowpetung Saulteaux First Nation opened a marijuana dispensary this week.

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Chief Anthony Cappo has said the First Nation has a sovereign right to pass its own cannabis regulations.

Justice Minister Don Morgan says the federal government delegated jurisdiction over cannabis sales to the provinces.

He says he’s disappointed that the First Nation’s leadership went ahead with the dispensary without talking to the province first.

He also says he’s had no formal discussion with leaders from Muscowpetung or any other reserve in the province on the issue.

“If somebody breaks that law, then we don’t direct what the police do, but the police, we know, are enforcing,” Morgan said Thursday.

“The wrong way to work through is just by starting out by breaking the law and saying, ‘Now let’s sit down and talk,”‘ he said. “The better way would be to sit down and say, ‘These are things we’d like to do’ and we would say, ‘Of course, glad to have the discussion with ou.”‘