First Nation buys into cannabis company

A Saskatchewan First Nation is investing $8 million in a Calgarybased cannabis company in what is being billed as a “strategic partnership” that will result in a new production facility and jobs for its members.

Westleaf Cannabis Inc. on Tuesday announced the investment, which will make Thunderchild First Nation its largest shareholder and result in the band’s chief, Delbert Wapass, serving on its board of directors.

The private company said it is building a 115,000-square-foot cultivation facility on Thunderchild lands near Battleford, which is intended to provide “significant job creation” for the First Nation.

“We are proud to be Westleaf’s largest shareholder, as we strongly believe that this relationship will bring significant benefits to our band,” Wapass said Tuesday morning in a statement.

“Westleaf ’s strong knowledge of the industry and its vision to develop highquality cannabis products in the Prairies in collaboration with our members will make our relationship a natural and rewarding fit.”

Westleaf said it is building a second facility in Alberta and, once both are completed, it intends to “develop and manufacture a diverse range of high-quality, safe and consistent cannabis products.”

It said it plans to establish retail stores in Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. The company won one of two Saskatchewan retail permits available in Warman, north of Saskatoon.