Media Stories
The following are media stories about Medicine Wheel Natural Healing.
Medicine Wheel in the Age of Covid: an Interview with Rob Stevenson
When the pandemic started, Alderville First Nation was entirely shut down, and all stores on the territory were completely closed for three months. With the store shuttered, Medicine Wheel had to lay off about 40 employees. All staff members were paid two weeks’ wages, and because the staff were all on payroll, they were eligible for COVID-19 financial support.
Cannabis is an Aboriginal Right: “Speak From the Heart – and Don’t Give Up!”
On March 4th, 2021, Chief Del Riley, the former President of the National Indian Brotherhood, and a co-author and negotiator of Sections 25 and 35 of the Canadian Constitution, visited Alderville First Nation. Chief Riley was there to tour Medicine Wheel Natural Healing – the first dispensary to open in Alderville – and to see first hand the state of the art cannabis testing and extraction facilities of Red Feather Laboratories.
3 Years Ago You Could Only Buy Legal Weed on First Nations, Now Some Say the Industry Needs a ‘Red Market’
Stevenson says instead of being dismissed as “black market,” it’s time for Indigenous retailers to carve out a “red market” in the cannabis industry that’s unique from what’s offered at provincially-regulated pot shops.
Medicine Wheel Raising Funds for Alderville Women’s Shelter in Honour of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
Published by KawarthaNow.co June 12 2020 Owner and Alderville First Nation member Rob Stevenson will match funds raised from raffle of painting Alderville First Nation’s
Building Indigenous Sovereignty Through Social Entrepreneurship
Wednesday, Nov 13th, 2019 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Wexner-G02, HKS The Social Innovation + Change Initiative is delighted to welcome Rob Stevenson, member of the Bear Clan
Medicine Wheel Natural Healing Trains Staff For Medical Emergencies
The Medicine Wheel Natural Healing manager Krista Mattson, Owner Rob Stevenson and Northumberland First Response Medical Training owner Ken Jansen with medical equipment including AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) along with Nalaxone kit for anyone suffering from an overdose along with a epi-pen for people having an allergic reaction.
‘Degrading and deplorable’: Ontario Slammed Over Cannabis License Lottery for First Nations
“This is divisive. In no way shape or form does it promote our First Nations working together. It’s saying, ‘Here are eight licenses. There are 133 First Nations in Ontario. You fight over it,’” Day told Yahoo Finance Canada. “It’s a degrading and deplorable tactic that we have seen time and time again. The provincial government will realize very quickly that we’re not going to take the bait.”
Limiting Cannabis Stores on Ontario First Nations Against ‘Community Sovereignty’: Regional Chief
On Wednesday, the Ontario government announced that it will issue up to eight licences for those wishing to operate a cannabis store on First Nations reserves — but Indigenous leaders and those involved with cannabis say this decision poses jurisdictional issues.
Politicians and Bureaucrats Get an Earful at Indigenous Cannabis Conference
Published by Dispensing Freedom, Feb 25, 2019 OTTAWA – Over 300 delegates attended the second National Indigenous Cannabis and Hemp Conference (NICHC) held on the unceded
Medicine Wheel Expands in New Era of Cannabis Legalization
From the start, Medicine Wheel focussed on high-quality medicinal products provided by a knowledgeable and highly informed staff. Expecting his clientele to be predominantly younger enthusiasts of the “cannabis culture” type, manager Brent Morrison remembers being shocked on opening day. “The people who were coming into the store defied the cannabis stereotype,” Morrison remembers. “Our average clients are in their mid 50s and looking for a safe and reliable source of cannabis to treat their illnesses.”
‘A Real Opportunity’: Cannabis Entrepreneurship Lifting Some First Nations Communities
by Alicja Siekierska, Yahoo Finance, October 17, 2018 It’s a quiet, cool autumn morning in early October and Medicine Wheel Natural Healing is bustling. In the span
Free-Rein Cannabis Shops vs. A Complete Moratorium: Two Anishinaabe Communities Have Differing Strategies on Pot
On the south side of Rice Lake in southern Ontario, Alderville First Nation is becoming increasingly known as the ‘Green Mile,’ a moniker inspired by the number of cannabis dispensaries that have cropped up along the stretch of County Road 45 that runs through the community.
Medicinal Cannabis Store Owner Talks Legalization
Global News, Oct 17, 2018 It’s officially legal now in Canada to use cannabis. In Ontario, pot can only be bought online. So what do
Inside Alderville, Canada’s First Nations Cannabis Boomtown
Stevenson opened Medicine Wheel Natural Healing as a medical cannabis dispensary on June 21, 2017, “and since then we’ve been just rocking it. We’re up to about 15,000 registered clients, between 200 and 250 new clients every day.”
On ‘Green Mile,’ First Nations Offer Glimpse Into Pot’s Retail Future
Alderville’s cannabis stores also exemplify the challenge that First Nations businesses face, especially those which seek to pursue a legitimate business in the grey area of selling marijuana. Despite how First Nations communities are governed by federal law, Alderville has forged ahead and sold recreational cannabis ahead of Canada’s Oct. 17 legalization date. The businesses are also selling some forms of the drugs, such as edibles, which aren’t expected to become legal until October 2019.
