HALIFAX – Nova Scotia’s justice minister says there are more illegal cannabis dispensaries in the province than the 118 the government had initially estimated.
However, Scott Armstrong refused to tell reporters today exactly how many illegal stores his department believes there are, saying the number is in flux.
Armstrong says new illegal shops have opened since he issued a directive on Dec. 4 for Nova Scotia police to prioritize cannabis enforcement.
He also wrote to 13 Mi’kmaq chiefs that day requesting their co-operation as police tackle what he called a growing public safety problem.
At the time, he said publicly that the number of illegal stores across the province was 118.
The minister said today his department conducts “routine intelligence” to track dispensaries, but declined to give details.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 15, 2026.
