2024 Indigenous Communities Fellowship
Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association
What is the name of your solution?
Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association
Provide a one-line summary of your solution.
ICIA’s knowledge-sharing capabilities explore, develop, and advance the cannabis industry for the benefit of all Indigenous communities.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Cambridge, WI, USAIn what country is your solution team headquartered?
What type of organization is your solution team?
Nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
In 2016, the National Congress of American Indians passed a resolution approving the production of cannabis, which is the plant species that produces both hemp and marijuana, to promote tribal self-determination and self-governance, create job opportunities, strengthen tribal governance, and promote equity in the cannabis industry. Sovereign Indigenous Nations and their community members, who have been disproportionately affected by the War on Drugs, the opioid crisis, and systemic racism in the US, are now looking to cannabis as an emerging industry to provide relief – medicinally, spiritually, and economically.
In 2018, the US federal government legalized hemp nationwide through the Farm Bill, and hemp exploded into a $28 billion industry, budding from industrial hemp uses like fiber and hempcrete as well as hemp-derived consumables. While marijuana remains illegal federally as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act, 24 states have legalized recreational marijuana and 38 states recognize marijuana for medicinal purposes, generating $26 billion in annual revenue.
The emerging Indigenous cannabis industry represents the greatest opportunity in cannabis today. By developing pathways into the hemp and cannabis market, Indigenous communities promote tribal sovereignty, build generational wealth, blend traditional agricultural practices with modern innovation, advance plant medicine, and promote climate-smart sustainable commodities that protect the environment.
Hemp currently accounts for only .0032% of US farmland, illustrating the enormity of opportunity for the largest new crop entry in US history. Requiring less water and shorter growth cycles, every part of the plant produces multi-use commodities that offset carbon footprints throughout supply chains and across industries. Hemp fiber, for example, can be used in textiles and packaging, hurd can be used to create sustainable building materials like hempcrete and insulation, hemp grain has diverse utilizations ranging from animal feed to jet fuel, and processed flower produces the cannabinoids used in consumable products.
According to 2017 data from the USDA Census of Agriculture for American Indian Reservations, 86% of harvested cropland on reservations, 3.3 million acres, is leased by non-Natives, compared to 532,000 acres operated by Indigenous growers. Indigenous farmers have been reluctant to grow hemp due to lack of accessible funding, commoditized crop pricing, and lack of crop insurance.
Indigenous entrepreneurs and Indigenous-led businesses also face a complex regulatory landscape. There is currently a lack of resources available for Indigenous-led cannabis initiatives, ranging from legislative support to technical agricultural education to accessible financing. Contributing to this problem is the deep and systemic stigmatization of cannabis, both as a plant medicine and as an agricultural commodity. A lack of resources has been a historical barrier to Indigenous communities lobbying for equitable policy reform at the tribal, local, state, and federal levels. The cannabis industry set a record for federal lobbying last year, reaching $5.4 million, led by private cannabis enterprises. A systemic lack of Indigenous representation in federal and state policy conversations is compounded by a need for collaborative policy reform within tribal governments and communities themselves.
What is your solution?
A first-of-its-kind nonprofit organization, the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association creates opportunities for Indigenous peoples in hemp and cannabis and empowers Indigenous communities throughout supply chains through policy, programming, and outreach initiatives. With a growing network of Tribal Governments, First Nations, Indigenous entrepreneurs, financial resource providers, healthcare organizations, policymakers, and non-Native industry leaders, the ICIA works to be a conduit of connection and data to align the efforts of Indigenous Nations as we push towards a vision of an equitable, just, and sustainable Indigenous cannabis economy.
To address the foundational barriers to entry facing Indigenous communities looking to enter the hemp and cannabis industries, ICIA focuses on three key initiatives: Empowerment, Connection, and Policy.
Empowerment
ICIA provides comprehensive technical assistance, educational resources, and economic opportunities for Indigenous entrepreneurs, Tribal Nations, and our communities. These resources include:
Webinars, bootcamps, and seminars, and in-person educational events focusing on business development, policy reform, and technical and agricultural training
Workforce development and training
Online business and policy tools and resources
Cannabis conviction expungement clinics and resources
Community education on safe, effective, and responsible cannabis use
Accessible financial resources for business and enterprise development
Connection
As a network of leading industry voices in Indigenous cannabis, ICIA connects Tribal Nations and Indigenous cannabis entrepreneurs with non-Native industry partners, advocacy groups, mentors, and businesses for knowledge-sharing and networking. ICIA provides opportunities for connection through:
Educational and networking events, business spotlights, and speaking opportunities
Advocacy and engagement opportunities and events with lawmakers and regulators
Market development and networking with industry professionals and enterprises seeking to diversify supply chains through ICIA’s international preferred vendor network
Policy
Working toward an equitable and sustainable Indigenous cannabis industry through sensible policy, ICIA advocates for policy reform at the local, state, and federal level. ICIA’s policy initiatives include:
Working directly with representatives to support fair implementation and enforcement of sensible cannabis policies
Providing resources for Tribal Nations and Indigenous people to design and advocate for equitable policies
Facilitating Indigenous-led lobbying and in-person advocacy efforts
As federal legalization of cannabis looms in the future, ICIA seeks to provide critical certainty for Indian Country’s cannabis development and long-term strategic analysis by building actionable data and information for tribes in cannabis.
Which Indigenous community(s) does your solution benefit? In what ways will your solution benefit this community?
ICIA’s network includes Tribal Nations, Indigenous entrepreneurs and Indigenous-led businesses, as well as a network of non-Native cannabis industry experts who seek to support our mission to advance the cannabis industry for the benefit of all Indigenous people.
We are stronger when united, which is also why the ICIA works to gather Tribal Leaders to learn about opportunities and discuss how self-determination, sovereignty and treaty rights are impacted by cannabis in Indian Country. Alignment and a unified approach is critical to advance legislative advocacy and lobbying strategies so that Congress cannot ignore our mission to protect tribal sovereignty in cannabis federal reform. The ICIA is leading the charge, tracking all federal cannabis legislation and synthesizing reports and policy priorities to ensure our voices while we build out the capacity for tribes to lead an emerging industry.
How are you and your team well-positioned to deliver this solution?
Founded by cannabis entrepreneur Rob Pero (Bad River) in August 2022 and led by career cannabis advocate Executive Director Mary Jane Oatman (Nez Perce), the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association is a member-driven nonprofit organization representing the diverse interests of Indigenous Tribal Nations and First Nations and Indigenous entrepreneurs and business owners.
Frequent one-on-one communications with stakeholders across the industry as well as regular monthly roundtable meetings of Tribal Government Leaders and Tribal Enterprises guides alignment for the organization and promotes a collaborative approach to empowerment, connection, and policy reform. As a conduit of the industry, ICIA works to bridge the gaps in knowledge-sharing between stakeholders in the Indigenous cannabis and hemp industries, using in-person events and digital platforms to empower Indigenous-led education, technical assistance, and opportunities to generate economic activity.
Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?
Strengthen sustainable energy sovereignty and support climate resilience initiatives by and for Indigenous peoples.Which of the UN Sustainable Development Goals does your solution address?
What is your solution’s stage of development?
GrowthWhy are you applying to Solve?
Empowering entrepreneurs, businesses, Tribal Nations, and enterprises to enter and excel in the hemp and cannabis industry requires access to funding to facilitate in-person and digital knowledge-sharing opportunities, as well as the capacity and technology to facilitate a growing community network and resource library. We see this fellowship as an opportunity to work with strategic partner that can help us grow our team and strengthen our ability to empower and connect Indigenous people as they navigate the complexities of the industry, including agriculture, manufacturing, inter-Nation trade, supply chain development, retail business, and more.
We will continue to build an actionable resource library of content and create more opportunities to provide business knowledge, technical assistance, and accessible funding for Indigenous communities. With this fellowship, ICIA can strengthen our ability to help Indigenous entrepreneurs, hemp growers, and Tribal Nations looking to enter the industry through business development resources, including business plans, policy and advocacy toolkits, market research and development, and transmission of traditional agricultural knowledge and modern innovation.
Our partners are sovereign Nations with the ability to make laws, govern themselves and sell commodities on a global stage. The autonomy of Indigenous and First Nations presents a great opportunity for this fellowship to support ICIA as we develop a strong network of communication and connection that will empower self-determination and promote responsible hemp and cannabis advancement. Together we can create a sustainable industry that creates Indigenous economic opportunity, improves accessibility to plant medicine for the health and wellbeing of our community, and promotes the safe and responsible use of hemp and cannabis for the benefit of our planet and all people.
In which of the following areas do you most need partners or support?
Who is the Team Lead for your solution?
ICIA Founder Rob Pero
Please indicate the tribal affiliation of your Team Lead.
Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians
How is your Team Lead connected to the community or communities in which your project is based?
Rob Pero is an inspiring leader, visionary creative director, and advocate dedicated to creating economic opportunities in the hemp and cannabis industries for Indigenous communities. Rob is a member of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians and an active supporter of Indigenous economic development initiatives in Wisconsin and nationwide.
Rob is the founder of Canndigenous, the first independent Indigenous-owned hemp company in Wisconsin, and Ripley Green apothecary, as well as the founder of ICIA. He is a member of the State Task Force for the Tribes on Cannabis in Wisconsin and a supporter of the Wisconsin Indigenous Economic Development Corporation. He is a co-founder of the Indigenous Business Group, a nonprofit supporting Indigenous-led businesses and economic development in Indian Country, and the founder, CEO, and creative director of media group Perodigm, where he produces and directs award-winning films, guides the building and execution of strategic marketing campaigns, and offers Indigenous-focused diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting for organizations nationwide.
Rob values family, support for community, respect for the natural world, and a commitment to doing everything, as the Ojibwe say, “in a good way”.
What makes your solution innovative?
With strategic alignment, Indigenous communities and Tribal Nations have an unprecedented opportunity to enter an emerging marketplace for the benefit of all Indigenous people. The Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association is the only advocacy organization operating to promote the advancement of the cannabis and hemp industries for and by Indigenous people. As legislation changes happen quickly, so does our approach, and our flexible team is uniquely dedicated to the challenges and opportunities facing Indigenous entrepreneurs and Tribal Nations. Our network, knowledge, and resources are creating a unified voice in Indigenous cannabis and policy reform that blend traditional agricultural practices with modern technology to generate economic activity and wealth, increase accessibility to plant medicine, and develop a sustainable supply chain for climate-smart commodities for the benefit of all Indigenous communities for generations to come.
Describe in simple terms how and why you expect your solution to have an impact on the problem.
ICIA will help Indigenous communities participate meaningfully in the emerging cannabis and hemp industries by empowering education, connection, and policy reform. Our key initiatives overcome barriers to entry that Indigenous communities face by providing access to knowledge-sharing, advocacy tools, educational resources, technical assistance, business development resources, networking, and funding. By continuing to strengthen our resources and our ability to facilitate our growing network, we will be able to deliver meaningful resources and connections to meet the diverse needs of our communities.
What are your impact goals for your solution and how are you measuring your progress towards them?
We are currently working with top cannabis economist Beau Whitney, a Business Consultant, Economist, Policy Advisor at Whitney Economics, to develop a first-of-its-kind market research report that will show the potential revenue of the Indigenous cannabis market. That would be a key performance indicator for us to benchmark the overall economic impact of our initiatives.
To measure the impact of our policy reform initiatives, we track the number and quality of proposed and passed legislation and cannabis policy reforms at the tribal, local, state, and federal levels nationwide. An increased number of equitable policy initiatives directly related to our network’s advocacy and lobbying efforts is a key performance indicator for our initiatives.
Our growing network of Tribal Nations and Indigenous businesses, as well as our network representing the increasing number of Indigenous-led cannabis and hemp producers and retailers nationwide, is a meaningful indicator that our work to empower and connect Indigenous communities is impactful.
We continue to increase the effectiveness of our certifications and training resources by developing state- and regional-focused market research reports and resources. The quality of these resources is measured through frequent communication with Tribal Nations and Indigenous entrepreneurs who use them. We continue to increase the regions represented in our resource library and maintain them as the regulatory landscape evolves.
Internally, our impact is also measured by the number of staff on our team and the number and quality of education and connection activations we participate in throughout the year. We continue to grow our presence on the international and national cannabis industry stage, bringing Indigenous voices to the forefront of industry conversations and raising awareness of the importance of Indigenous-led suppliers, growers, and producers throughout supply chains.
Describe the core technology that powers your solution.
The most prolific knowledge-sharing occurs at our monthly Tribal Nation roundtables, where we rely on video conferencing for communication. As we develop technical educational resources for climate-smart hemp production and increase the number of qualified participants in our preferred vendor network for sustainable supply chain development, we would look to this fellowship to support our efforts to identify and employ technologies that will increase our capability and streamline our ability to connect and educate. ICIA’s partners, including Indigenous growers, producers, and Tribal Nations, are looking for innovative ways to share traditional agricultural techniques as well as modern industrial hemp practices.
ICIA partners with Global Go to facilitate advanced analytics related to cannabis industry functions, including applications and licensing, compliance software, training and standard operating procedures. This software allows us seed-to-sale tracking metrics.
We currently work with a USDA-funded hemp program to identify and train Indigenous farmers as they adopt climate-smart and good stewardship practices for growing hemp. This program utilizes CarbonTrack Software, a farm resource planning software that gathers data to measure and validate carbon credits.
ICIA’s proprietary information is currently made accessible by a custom coded software program developed for the organization.
Which of the following categories best describes your solution?
A new business model or process that relies on technology to be successful
Please select the technologies currently used in your solution:
If your solution has a website or an app, provide the links here:
https://www.indigenouscannabis.org/
In which parts of the US and/or Canada do you currently operate?
Nationwide throughout the US and Canada
How many people work on your solution team?
Full Time - 2, Part Time - 3
How long have you been working on your solution?
2.5 years
Tell us about how you ensure that your team is diverse, minimizes barriers to opportunity for staff, and provides a welcoming and inclusive environment for all team members.
ICIA is an Indigenous-led organization created for the benefit of Indigenous communities. We are committed to an inclusive approach to community and team building, where Native and non-Native industry experts collaborate to create an equitable and just environment that welcomes all people of all backgrounds. Our mission to uplift Indigenous voices in cannabis policy reform, increase production of sustainable and climate-smart commodities, prioritize access to plant medicine, and build diverse supply chains that create economic opportunity and generational wealth for Indigenous communities, incorporates emerging and established members of the industry in a bipartisan environment that prioritizes health and wellbeing for all communities.
What is your business model?
ICIA membership is open to Native and non-Native partners, including individuals, Tribal Nations, and businesses. More information about membership tiers can be found at indigenouscannabis.org/joinicia.
Do you primarily provide products or services directly to individuals, to other organizations, or to the government?
Government (B2G)What is your plan for becoming financially sustainable, and what evidence can you provide that this plan has been successful so far?
ICIA sustainability relies on a revenue stream of members and strategic sponsors who support the organization throughout the year and sponsor events. Members of ICIA, including Native and non-Native individuals, Tribal Nations, and businesses, support the ICIA to maintain access to a growing and impactful library of resources, educational materials, and community network. The ICIA intends to continue to develop sustainable revenue streams by maintaining and growing a network of Tribal & Corporate Level Memberships. The value ICIA delivers to the cannabis industry has secured individual and corporate level annual sponsorships ranging from $100 to $20,000.
Solution Team
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Our Organization
Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association