The Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association (ICIA) will host its second annual “Wisconsin Cannabis Industry and Policy Summit” at the Ho-Chunk Casino & Hotel in Baraboo, Wis., on Thursday, Feb. 29.
Hosted with support from Ho-Chunk Nation, this Indigenous-led cannabis summit will present a timely education and advocacy opportunity for the benefit of the public of Wisconsin, according to a press release from ICIA, and tribal nations from across Wisconsin will convene at the summit to discuss the opportunity of plant medicine and how to approach it equitably and responsibility, for the benefit of all communities across the state.
The Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association (ICIA) was founded in 2022 by Wisconsin-based cannabis entrepreneur Rob Pero, who is also a member of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians. The organization looks to create opportunities for Indigenous people in cannabis and empowers the Indigenous community through policy, programming, and outreach initiatives. Pero is also the founder of Canndigenous, the first independent Indigenous-owned hemp company in Wisconsin.
“The Wisconsin Cannabis Summit is a space for industry leaders to come together and address the most pressing issues facing cannabis policy reform in Wisconsin,” said Pero in a press release. “The potential for an Indigenous-led effort to effectively increase Wisconsin’s access to plant medicine and industrial hemp is budding into reality. The ICIA and our members are highly focused on developing strategies for economic opportunity in the state for both the public sector and for Indigenous communities to ensure Tribal sovereignty.”
