Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I was talking about legalization of marijuana and some of the issues and the consultation process. I have to congratulate the department on the work they have been doing. However, I know we have gone into nine communities, but has the department looked into going into some of the smaller communities? I mean, I know Fort Liard was on the list, but smaller communities like Wrigley, Sambaa K'e, and that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Minister of Justice.
Yes, Mr. Speaker. I can advise that, of course, we have just completed a successful public engagement program in which we received 1,160 responses and 200 people participated in our community engagement meetings. In the communities that my staff visited, two representatives of small communities were included; Tsiigehtchic, where alcohol is prohibited, and Fort Liard, which has alcohol restrictions in place. A number of communities were visited by the staff. I think it represented a good cross-section of the communities in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the Minister for his answer. Two communities out of 27, I don't think that is a good representation. Will the Minister look at talking to these small communities? Even though maybe they are not going to go and consult with them, maybe they can write a letter to these smaller communities and ask them to get some feedback in there. We are talking about some of the very small, small communities, and this will have a huge impact on them.
As I mentioned, we received 1,160 responses to our online survey. Anybody from across the Northwest Territories or, in fact, from outside the Territories, if they wished, could participate. In addition, we did write to Aboriginal organizations seeking their input. We only have a limited amount of time, as we all know, as the federal legislation will be in force starting July 1st next year. We visited a cross-section of communities, admittedly not every community. Between the visits to the community and the many submissions made online, I think we did receive a good cross-section of opinion from our territory.
I thank the Minister for his answer. I guess he is missing the point. Some of these communities don't have access to the internet system and that. That is a concern for me. I am hoping that he will get his department to at least write to these communities and ask them for some input. On to my next question: has the department consulted NWT businesses already selling medical marijuana or cannabis to NWT? If not, why?
If there are producers in the NWT, they are outside the legal supply chain. The only exception is that individuals with a prescription can grow cannabis for themselves and also for one other designated person also with a prescription. During the public engagement period, we sent 120 letters out to a range of stakeholders throughout the NWT, inviting them to respond, that included the Chamber of Commerce and the Medical Association.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am talking about the medical cannabis, not the homegrown stuff that may or may not be out there. Mr. Speaker, has the department looked at the thought of developing a homegrown organization to grow cannabis in the Northwest Territories? We have some of the best soil in the country and availability. We can get the seeds from somewhere else. Has the Minister looked at this as an option for people in there? I know in my riding we have some great land that we can use. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Laughter
Masi. Minister of Justice.
Thank you for the interesting question. Essentially, the production of marijuana is a federal issue. Those who wish to manufacture marijuana will have to be licensed by the federal government. They would have to approach the federal government. Presumably, they would have to make an application showing how they could ensure the safety of the product and so on. That could happen. I understand that even fairly small organizations might be able to avail themselves of this legislation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
