This is an on-going list. The Emerald will continue to update it.
Please reach out or comment below to be included.

Click here for a list of Black-Owned Cannabis Companies, Asian-Owned Cannabis Companies, LGBTQIA+ Owned Cannabis Businesses and Hispanic and Latinx-Owned Cannabis Companies.

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Written by By Mary Jane Oatman, Melissa Hutsell, Taylor Short and Katie Bryan

Indigenous peoples have always had a relationship with sacred smoke. Hundreds of Tribal communities have shared stories of hemp economies prior to European contact, and have well documented accounts of use and enjoyment of the plant as a textile as well as for ceremonial purposes. 

The Nez Perce people of the Columbia River Plateau were noted for their smoking practices as early as 1805 in the Lewis and Clark Expedition journals, which also recorded the presence of a hemp rope economy stewarded by the women. 

The Indigenous’s relationship with the cannabis plant spans thousands of years. It was formed after a flood displaced the Tribe, explains Mary Jane Oatman, founder of THC Magazine and member of the Nez Perce, in Spokesman:

“[…] Looking for land, they released a bird, but the bird returned to the ship with nothing in its talons nor beak. Then the bird opened its mouth and out popped a sacred seed: a hemp seed. Reaching land shortly thereafter, the hemp seed was planted, and bore fruit that nourished and clothed the people.”

Peace treaty negotiations between the U.S. Government and the Nez Perce people were bargained for over smoke, as were numerous other treaties causing the “Indian peace pipe” to later become an iconic symbol of Native cultures.     

Now, the War on Drugs has led to a disproportionate number of Indigenous people serving federal prison sentences for so-called cannabis crimes.

One 2012 study conducted by the Marijuana Arrest Research Project found that, in Washington state, for instance, “Native Americans were arrested at 1.6 times the rate of whites” for cannabis possession. 

Disparities in arrest rates are even higher in states like South Dakota, where Black and Native Americans are on average five times more likely to be arrested for cannabis than whites, found a Shenandoah University study. According to that study, released in September 2020, “Native Americans accounted for 8.9% of the population of South Dakota in 2016, [but] they comprised 29.3% of all marijuana possession arrests that year.”

A paradigm shift is slowly occurring, as dozens of Tribal communities are blazing trails with the development of comprehensive regulations and policies to open up opportunities for their people. 

At the 2014 national convention, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) passed Resolution SD-15-047, which:

“[…] Affirms the following tribes have the right to be a part of the development of any state and federal legislation that addresses the growing and selling of hemp and marijuana on state lands; that NCAI opposes any such legislation that will override tribal sovereignty; and that tribes have the right, under their treaties and sovereignty, to develop programs that include marijuana as an economic base for their people.”

Since the convention, Indian country hemp and cannabis has proliferated the map as the number of farms, production facilities, testing centers and consulting companies grow among the nation’s 570+ federally recognized tribes. 

That’s why it is important now more than ever to become conscious cannabis consumers. This list of 100+ Indigenous-owned cannabis businesses is the perfect place to start.  

 

100+ Indigenous-Owned Cannabis Businesses

This is an on-going list. The Emerald will continue to update it. Please reach out or comment below to be included. Click here for a list of Black-Owned Cannabis Companies, Asian-Owned Cannabis Companies, and Hispanic and Latinx-Owned Cannabis Companies.

Retail/Store Fronts

• Agate Dreams (Poulsbo, Wash.) is Kitsap County’s largest recreational dispensary. According to the company’s website, it’s located on the Port Madison Indian Reservation, and is “operated by the Suquamish Evergreen Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Port Madison Enterprises, an agency of the Suquamish Tribe.”

• Cedar Greens (Sequim, Wash.) opened in 2019 “to provide our community with resources for learning about cannabis while offering access to the world of benefits provided by cannabis and other natural products,” according to the company’s website. Operated by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe. 

• Commencement Bay Cannabis (Fife and Tacoma, Wash.) is a dispensary that offers high-quality flower and has daily deals for customers. Their website proudly boasts that they are, ”Native grown, Native owned.”

• Eh-Lo Dispensary (Porterville, Calif.) is a dispensary located inside a 4,000 square foot building with a 1,500 square foot showroom. Owned by the Tule River Tribe. 

• Elevation (Shelton, Wash.) is located on the Squaxin Island Indian Reservation. Elevation opened in November 2015, making it “the first retail cannabis shop to open on tribal land,” according to Elevation’s website. “All profits from Elevation support crucial infrastructure such as healthcare, education, economic development and employment for the Squaxin Island Tribe.” 

• Elwha Peaks (Port Angeles, Wash.) is a dispensary that sells high-quality cannabis and CBD products. “Located on the Olympic Peninsula, west of Port Angeles, Elwha Peaks operates in accordance with an inter-governmental Marijuana Compact between the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and the State of Washington, acting through its Liquor & Cannabis Board in accordance with its authority under I-502,” write the company’s website. “Elwha Peaks is wholly owned by the Tribe, which allocates all revenues from Elwha Peaks to support infrastructure, healthcare, education, economic development and employment for the betterment of the Tribe, its community and membership.”

• Harvest Health Dispensary (Sand Springs, Okla.) is a medical cannabis dispensary founded by Lana Rodriguez. Harvest Health carries edibles, vape pens, flower, concentrates – and even offers 15% daily discounts for seniors and veterans.

• High Point Cannabis (Kingston, Wash.) is a recreational and medical dispensary owned by the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe. The shop, which offers high quality products at competitive prices, is located on the Gamble S’Klallam Reservation.

• Joint Rivers (Auburn, Wash.) is located on the Muckleshoot Indian Reservation. It’s home to the state’s first drive-thru dispensary, which opened in 2018. According to The Federal Law Mirror, the Muckleshoot Tribe handled all planning and development of the dispensary. 

• Little Beach Harvest (South Hampton, N.Y.) is a medical cannabis dispensary,” established by the Shinnecock Indian Nation in order to provide quality treatment with compassion and convenience,” according to their website. 

• Long Lodge Tribal Enterprises (Costa Mesa, Calif.) is a Native American-owned cannabis store, and Orange County’s first legal retail shop, according to the company’s Twitter and Weedmaps’ account. The dispensary was established in 2016 by The Long Lodge Native Tribe, which has long believed in the holistic uses of cannabis. 

• Mission Grown Medicinals (Lakeport, Calif.) is the retail division or, ”one of three operating entities under the parent company, Xabenapo Herbals,” according to their website. 

• Mountain Source Dispensary (Santa Ysabel, Calif.) was founded by the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel and is, ”the first tribally owned dispensary in San Diego County,” according to their Facebook. 

• Nabodoka Dispensary (Lovelock, Nev.) is located on the Lovelock Paiute Tribe Colony. The dispensary holds annual events, including for 4/20 and the Lovelock Street Fair Car Show, according to the company’s website. 

• Native Cannabis Company (Edmond, Okla.) is a family-owned business, ”located in the beautiful Cross Timbers region of East Central Oklahoma providing a unique Ecoregion perfect for the cultivation of high quality, connoisseur grade cannabis,” according to poster.com.

• Natural Wonders (Portland, Ore.) was founded in 2014, and is owned by Jackson McCormick. According to the company’s Instagram, Natural Wonders is Oregon’s first and only Native-owned dispensary. 

• Newe Cannabis (Elko, Nev.) opened in April 2020, and was founded by the Elko Band Colony of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians. According to Newe’s website, the dispensary hopes to, “provide much needed economic development for the Tribe and responsibly provide a service for the people of Elko County and Nevada for years to come.”

• NuWu (Las Vegas) includes two locations, NuWu North, and NuWu Cannabis Marketplace—the world’s largest dispensary, according to the company’s website. It’s also the home of Las Vegas’s only consumption room, and features a 24 hour drive-thru. Owned by the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe. 

• Oak Creek Dispensary (Independence, Calif.) is ”a cannabis brand and dispensary founded by the Fort Independence Paiute Band,“ according to their website. 

• Oneida Organics (Southwold, ON) is a medical cannabis dispensary that is Oneida nation-owned. 

• Pesha Numma (Yerrington, Nev.) is located on the Yerington Paiute Tribe Colony, “Pesha Numma is the only medical and recreational dispensary for adults 21 years of age [between Las Vegas and Reno]; serving the Mason Valley and Yerington Paiute Tribe,” according to the company’s website. Owned and operated by the Yerington Paiute Tribe. 

• Remedy Tulalip (Marysville, Wash). is the Tulalip Tribes’ first retail cannabis shop. According to Remedy Tulalip’s website, the company “is committed to using our buying power and commitment to sustainability and education to create opportunities for Native-owned and affiliated cannabis brands to thrive!” 

• Salish Coast Company (Anacortes, Wash.) is a retail dispensary that carries “high-quality cannabis in a variety of consumption options to meet every customer’s needs, including tinctures, topicals, edibles, flowers, and concentrates,” according to their website. Founded by Antyn J. Vejil, and Marcus Joe — a member of the Swinomish Tribe.

• Tsaa Nesunkwa Dispensary (Ely, Nev.) takes its name from the Shoshone term for “feeling good.” According to the company’s website, it is “Nevada’s first Northeastern medical and recreational dispensary located on the Ely Shoshone Reservation.” 

• Water Canyon Dispensary (Winnemucca, Nev.) is a medical and recreational dispensary, which carries a range of THC and CBD products ranging from concentrates, to flower, to pet products. The dispensary was built by the Winnemucca Indian Colony. 

Brands 

• BreadxButta (Brooklyn, N. Y.) is an art, education and wellness brand that offers consultations, a concept studio, and a line of topicals created to be, “reminiscent of Caribbean/Puerto Rican home remedies and Brujeria magic,” according to the website. Founded by Lynsey Ayala. 

• Dolo Rolling Co. (Oakland, California) is a 100% equity-owned brand co-founded by Daniel Won, Chris Galea, Tushar Sethi, and John Sanders. The company curates high-quality pre-rolls, which come in packaging that “represents the creative spirit of the Bay Area,” the website explains. Dolo Rolling Co. also collaborates with local and BIPOC artists and cultivators.

• EnviroTextiles LLC (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) is “the manufacturer and importer of over 100 hemp fabrics worldwide and a leading consultant for the Colorado hemp industry,” according to the company’s website. Founded by Barbara Filippone. 

• Lea Littleleaf Glass (Portland, Ore.) Lea LIttleleaf is an Indigenous lampworker, plant lover and activist that is an emerging star in the world of competitive glassblowing. Littleleaf specializes in creating fishing lure designs and is inspired by her Native roots to incorporate fishing cultures from the Pacific Northwest. 

• Oyate Herbals (Florissant, Colo.) was founded by Tammie Lowell, “a Lakota woman that was raised with traditional medicines and has extensive knowledge in Herbology,” according to Lowell’s LinkedIn, which adds, “The recipes for [Oyate Herbals] products have been tested and perfected over several years. After encouragement by her friends, family, and other energy-healing clients, to market her products to help others, Oyate Herbals was founded.” The company offers full-spectrum hemps oils to pain-relieving salves, CBD capsule and more.

• PhoenixFire Glass (Ashland, Ore.) was founded by artist, mother and glassblower, Fiona Anuweh, aka Fiona PhoenixFire. PhoenixFire’s glassware designs include ceremonial pipes, glass arrowhead pendants and pieces adorned with 24k gold dotwork. 

• Sagebrush Hill Group, LLC (Window Rock, Ariz.) was founded by Derrick Watchman in 2017. According to Watchman’s LinkedIn, the company focuses on “advisory, acquisition, and development of businesses related to banking, gaming, finance and economic development.” 

• Warm Springs Ventures (Warm Springs, Ore.) “The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs tribal membership approved a referendum on December 17, 2015 to own and operate a cannabis production, processing, wholesale and retail sales of these products. The referendum also authorized the production, sale, wholesale and retail sale of industrial hemp for future development,” according to their website. 

Consulting 

• Bear Cub Consulting (Iowa, Kansas) is a consulting firm that specializes in tribal business development and investment in the hemp industry. Founded in 2017 by hemp activist, Muriel Young Bear. 

• Bolivar Consulting LLC. offers “cannabis and hemp business development consulting practice,” including the management of daily operations and client relationships, and management of daily operations, according to founder Larisa Bolivar’s LinkedIn page. 

• Emerald Enterprises, Inc. (Valley Center, Calif.) is a “Native-owned multidivisional cannabis solutions company that provides superior Native American Cannabis Consulting services in Medical Cannabis (marijuana) / Industrial Cannabis (Hemp),” according to the company’s Facebook. 

• Moskehtu Consulting (Decatur, Ga.) is a cultural and heritage consulting firm founded by Chenae Bullock, “an enrolled Shinnecock Indian Nation Tribal Member and descendant of the Montauk Tribe in Long Island New York,” states the company’s website. 

• National Indian Cannabis Coalition (Washington, D.C.) was founded to help provide resources and advising for emerging cannabis businesses. According to Ganjapreneur, their goal is to, ”inform and educate tribal leaders on the emerging regulated cannabis markets from an entrepreneurial and operations perspective.”

• Native Agronomics Inc. (Auburn, Wash.) is focused on bridging the gap between Native nations and the commercial cannabis world. According to the company’s website, their mission is, “to help Indian Nations develop their economic basis for supporting sovereignty and building community through the emerging cannabis industry.”

• Native Network Consulting (California) was founded by La Vonne Peck and Niki Vandenburgh, Native Network Consulting works with Tribal governments to help consult on, ”what makes hemp federally legal to grow; industry outlook and opportunities for business development; navigating the crop from planting to production,” and more, according to their website. 

• Red Crow Hemp (Carlsbad, Calif.) is ”a premier hemp development, management and consulting company that serves the Native American hemp industry,” and was founded by Richard Tall Bear Westerman, according to their website. 

• Sovereign Nations Cannabis Consulting (Benton, Calif.) was founded by Tina Braithwaite of the Benton Paiute Tribe. She uses her extensive knowledge of cannabis and Tribal government to advise Tribes with how to legally establish and operate cannabis businesses. 

• SovereignPort (Houston, Denver, Miami) was founded by Sarah Yetman, The company “provides logistics consulting, customs clearance and transportation management for industrial hemp and CBD products worldwide,” according to their website.

• Tinhorn Consulting (Phoenix, Ariz.) is a 100% Native and woman-owned, full-service marketing and consulting firm that originated on the Hualapai Indian Reservation in Peach Springs, Arizona. Tinhorn Consulting was founded by April Tinhorn, “in response to the growing need for a professional services agency that truly understands Indian Country,” according to the company’s website. 

• Xhoshga Consulting (Mandan, N.D.) was founded by Waylon Pretend Eagle and helps, ”clients throughout North Dakota cultivate, harvest, and process hemp products,” according to their website. 

Organizations

• California Native American Cannabis Association (Santa Ysabel, Calif.) or CNACA is a membership-based program, “composed of federally recognized Tribal Governments dedicated to protecting the sovereign right of Tribes to provide regulated, legal cannabis products to their communities, and engage in the economic development of legal, safe, and high-quality cannabis products for California consumers,” states CNACA’s website.

• Cannabis Consumers Coalition (Lakewood, Colo.) is a non-profit “consumer advocacy and watchdog organization in the cannabis industry,” with a mission “to be the voice of cannabis consumers […] by ensuring consumer rights, providing consumer education, and promoting ethical behavior on behalf of cannabis related businesses,” according to the website. Founded by Larisa Bolivar. 

• CannaNative (San Diego, Calif.) is a Southern California-based company with the goal to assist Tribes in the development of “hemp and cannabis-based economies on Native American lands across the U.S.,” states CannaNative’s Facebook page. 

• Hempstead Project HEART (Keshena, Wis.) was ”founded by legendary Native poet, philosopher and recording artist John Trudell,” according to the organization’s website, which adds, “Hempstead Project HEART is a vehicle to build public awareness of the many benefits of growing Industrial Hemp.”

• Indigenous Cannabis Coalition or ICANNC, has a mission to “provide education to and for Indigenous communities, elevating first nations economies and promoting traditional spiritual use,” according to the organization’s website. Team includes Judy Oatman, Nicole Bashaw, and Mary Jane Oatman of THC Magazine.

• InterTribal Marijuana Commission of Nevada (Nevada) or TMED is a division of the Inter Tribal Marijuana Enforcement Commission, whose mission is to “promote public safety and reduce public harm by regulating the Tribal commercial marijuana industry through the consistent administration of laws and regulations […],” according to TMEC’s website. 

• Medicine Creek Analytics (Fife, Wash.) is a full-service cannabis analytics lab that is owned by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. 

• National Native American Cannabis Association is an organization of tribal and non-tribal businesses that bound together to help establish high standards and provide quality services for those in the Native American cannabis industry. “NNACA has established the base standards for Hemp and Cannabis with experts around the world,” according to their website. 

• Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) is the largest philanthropic organization dedicated to Native farmers and ranchers in the U.S., according to NAAF’s website. The organization “provides grants to eligible organizations for business assistance, agricultural education, technical support, and advocacy services to support Native farmers and ranchers,” the site adds. 

• Native American Hemp (Tulsa, Okla.) or NAH “is a Native-owned company that grows, refines, and sells organic industrial hemp products to wholesale and retail markets,” according to NAH’s website. Founded by Aaron Fournier, a member of the Chickasaw Nation, reports Native Business Magazine. 

• Santa Ysabel Tribal Cannabis Regulatory Agency (San Ysabel, Calif.) or SYTCRA, “a component of the Iipay Nation Tribal government, is the primary agency responsible for the regulation and legal compliance of the operators comprising the Santa Ysabel Botanical Facility,” states to the organization’s website.

• The Buffalo Grass Company ”establishes itself as a professional and trustworthy entity capable of navigating the complexities of the hemp and cannabis industries,” according to nativenationevents.org. The company promotes sustainable use of resources, and offers strategy and land management services.  

• The Indigenous Hemp Education Association or IHEA is a non-profit organization with a mission to “educate and inform of the TRUE history, present, and future applications of Indigenous hemp,” according to IHEA’s website. 

Culinary

• TwoTwistedGirls (Oklahoma) is a licensed processor that creates infused edibles, topicals and boutique specialty items, according to the company’s Facebook page. 

Cultivators

• Absentee Shawnee Economic Development Authority, Inc. (Shawnee, Okla.) or ASEDA “is a federally chartered corporation wholly owned by the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma,” that “serves as a holding company for revenue generating businesses and economic development operations,” which includes industrial hemp, states ASEDA’s website. 

• Blackfeet Nation Tribal Council (Montana) In 2018, the Blackfeet Nation Tribal Council enacted an ordinance to decriminalize the possession of medical cannabis. On February 7th, 2020 the Tribe gained USDA approval for hemp production.

• Canndigenous (Cambridge, Wis.) is a hemp farm founded by “Rob Pero [a] serial entrepreneur, savvy marketer, and proud member of the Bad River Tribe,” according to the Canndigenous website, which adds: “Like preceding generations of Ojibwe people, his core values are rooted in love for family, support for community, respect for the natural world, and a commitment to doing everything, as the Ojibwe say, ‘in a good way.’”

• Cayuga Nation (Seneca Falls, N.Y.) was given USDA approval to grow and sell hemp.  According to the Finger Lakes Times, Cayuga Nation leader Clint Halftown said, “the approval allows hemp to be grown within the Nation’s former 64,015-acre reservation in Seneca and Cayuga counties, property that forms a horseshoe around the north end of Cayuga Lake.” 

• Creswell Oreganics (Oregon) is an Oregon-based farm that specializes in “cultivating clean, high-grade cannabis sustainably using our patented vertical octagon growing systems,” according to the company’s Facebook page. 

• Emerald Dreams Farm (Humboldt and Mendocino County, Calif.) are state permitted “organic sustainable craft cannabis farms in Southern Humboldt and Northern Mendocino [County in Northern California],” states their Facebook page. The farm grows flowers and veggies in addition to strains like Skywalker OG. Owned by Jasmine Rose of the Tlingit Tribe. 

• Falcanna (Port Angeles, Wasington) is an organic cannabis farm started in 2009 by husband and wife team, Justin and Bethany Rondeaux. “At Falcanna we have unique, proprietary genetics grown organically and pesticide free. Whether it’s our medically desired Pacific Blue or the cult classic Dutch Haze, we’re certain you’ll find something in our selection that will become your new favorite strain,” writes Falcanna’s website.

• Flandreau Santee Sioux Nation (Flandreau, S.D.) Effective January 2020, the Tribe was approved to grow hemp. According to Ganjapreneur, the tribe appears to be forging ahead in the planning stages of a “first-of-its-kind marijuana resort” intended to attract tourists. 

• Ho-Chunk Farms (Winnebago, Neb.) is a subsidiary of Ho-Chunk Inc., reports Native Business Magazine, and is located on the Winnebago Reservation in Nebraska, where industrial hemp is grown in addition to other crops.  

• Millennium Extracts (Raymond, Wash.) was established in 2014, and specializes in cultivation, branding, and award-winning extractions including, shatter, distillate, waxes and live resin. 

• Native Seed Cannabis Co. (California)  is a soon to launch cannabis company that focuses on pesticide-free products, including solvent-less concentrates, flower, and more, according to the company’s Leafly page. 

• Navajo Agricultural Products Industry (NAPI) Navajo Nation legislation made hemp testing and growing legal only on NAPI’s lands in a research trial conducted by New Mexico State University, according to Navajo Times. While controversial in the Tribal community, a 2020 bill expanded the NAPI hemp pilot project from 200 square feet to 5 acres, the publication reported. 

• Navajo Nation San Juan River Farm Board (Shiprock, N.M.) “The Navajo Nation Council’s Health, Education, and Human Services Committee approved […] Farming Legislation that permits economic development through the production of cannabis and hemp,” according to the board’s website. “The legislation is intended to advance the Navajo Nation economy, promote economic development, and create additional farming opportunities with the intent to improve the standard of living and promoting health and welfare of the Navajo Nation citizens.”

• Oglala Sioux Tribe (Pine Ridge, S.D.) will become pioneers in establishing a cannabis market in a state where it is otherwise illegal. Per the Associated Press, Tribal leaders have “pitched setting up a marijuana resort near the tribe’s casino in order to attract tourists visiting the Black Hills.” However, due to state and federal regulations, those plans are in the initial phases. In March 2020, the Tribe was granted USDA approval for their industrialized hemp plan to become operational. 

• Otoe Missouria Tribe of Indians (Red Rock, Okla.) gained USDA approval to begin industrialized hemp cultivation in February of 2020. The Tribe has expressed their disinterest in cannabis, saying it’s “not a direction we’re going in,” the Oklahoma Watch reported.

• Quoddy Hemp Manufacturing LLC (Maine) is the Passamaquoddy Tribe’s industrialized hemp production company. Their seeds were acquisitioned from Kentucky with the tribe focused on researching which kinds of hemp grow the best in the climate of northern New England, according to a Press Herald report. The plan is to allow the environment to dictate where manufacturing goes based on production yield.

• Saint Regis Mohawk (Akwesasne, N.Y.) the Tribe approved medicinal cannabis in 2019, and is moving toward the future legalization of recreational usage. The Tribe planned to have medicinal cannabis sales available as early as spring 2020, working with New York state to extend purchasing abilities to non-Tribal members.

• Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla (Riverside County, Calif.) is approved by the USDA to grow industrial hemp on the Tribe’s reservation, located near Idyllwild, California. According to The Press Enterprise, the Tribe plans to “let growers rent up to 30 acres of Tribal land to grow [it].”

• Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate (Lake Traverse Reservation, S.D.) Tribe was granted USDA approval for industrialized hemp production in March of 2020. The tribe has completed their initial Hemp Economic Feasibility Study and are presently in their second study phase with the University of Minnesota. Their Facebook indicates a healthy beginning to their foray into the hemp business.

• St. Croix Chippewa Hemp (Webster, Wis.) In November of 2017, the Tribe adopted a comprehensive control program for hemp and CBD, however, a legal battle with the Wisconsin Attorney General delayed the start until mid-2018. The Tribe says its plans to grow hemp indoors in a former fish hatchery after settling the lawsuit with the state, according to Hemp Industry Daily. The Chippewa also want to explore market opportunities for other parts of the plant.

• Standing Rock Sioux Tribe (Fort Yates, N.D.) previously shared their interest in hemp cultivation, and appears to have embraced the opportunities it will offer their tribe, calling it an agricultural commodity with the potential to drive economic development on the Reservation. The Tribe was granted USDA approval for their industrialized hemp production plan on March 10th of 2020.   

• The  Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa (Troy, Mich.) was granted industrialized hemp production approval on June 9th of 2020. The Tribe has also embarked in a flourishing partnership with Lume Cannabis Company to operate retail dispensary establishments on their trust lands.  

• The Fort Belknap Indian Community (Harlem, Mont.), which is home to both the Nakoda and Aaniiih Tribes, is in the beginning phases of industrialized hemp production as USDA approval appears to have been granted in January 2020.  

• The Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians’ (Wisconsin) hemp production approval was granted by the USDA in May 2020. Their Hemp Pilot Program with Mole Lake appears to have taken flight as the tribe announced their burgeoning partnership with LCO Ojibwe College in CBD hemp growth operations with potential grant financial distributions to facilitate their endeavors.

• The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida (Miami) have a hemp production plan that was approved by the FDA this year. While the tribe is in the preliminary stages of establishing their hemp operations, they have not expressed any desire to enter the cannabis industry. 

• The Pala Band of Mission Indians (Pala, Calif.) is USDA approved for hemp production effective May 2020. However, though they are in the state of California, there is no indication they intend to explore the recreational cannabis industry.

• The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska (Winnebago, Neb.) was one of the first in line to gain USDA approval for hemp production in July of 2019. The Tribe is in the mid-phase of their industrialized hemp production operation which began in late 2019.

• The Yurok Tribe (Northern California) enacted an ordinance to assert Tribal sovereignty and promote economic development for the Yurok Tribe through the production and processing of hemp and the development of new commercial markets for farmers and businesses through the sale of hemp products, according to the 2020 Yurok Tribe Hemp Plan.

• Tokém Cannabis (Washington) is a cannabis processing plant that the Suquamish Tribe chartered via the Suquamish Evergreen Corporation. It operates as a private-labeling brand for the Tribe, an opportunity unique to the tribe due favorable to regulations.

• Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians Hemp Plan is a USDA-approved hemp plan which effectively allows hemp cultivation on tribal lands, “with the tribe acting as the regulation and enforcement body,” reports Duluth News Tribune. 

• UpRyze Cannabis Ltd. (Acheson, Alberta) is a soon to launch, indigenous-owned, indoor cannabis farm that specializes in “small batch grown, hang dried, hand trimmed and expertly cured [bud],” according to a press release from the company. 

• Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (Towaoc, Colo.) is mostly geographically located in Colorado where marijuana legalized, however, it appears the Tribe is only in the preliminary discussion phase with several entities regarding their foray into cannabis.

• Wyld Flower Organics LLC (Tulsa, Okla.) is a 100% family owned and operated, indoor craft cannabis cultivation company. Founded by Alex Gutierrez.

• Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo (El Paso, Texas) The Puebloan Tribe’s Hemp Plan was approved by the USDA on June 17th, 2020. The plan allows, “The Pueblo to cultivate Hemp in accordance with the Farm Bill,” license and regulate operations on tribal land, according to the The Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Hemp Production Plan.    

Media

• 500nations.com is a comprehensive website and news source for Native American businesses across the U.S. and Canada., including those in the cannabis industry. 

• Concerned Dabs Podcast is a podcast that focuses on educating listeners about the cannabis industry, and leaders in it. The series features interviews with entrepreneurs, musicians, social justice advocates and more. 

• THC Magazine or Tribal Hemp and Cannabis Magazine is a publication created by the Indigenous Cannabis Coalition (ICANN) — both of which were founded by Mary Jane Oatman. According to ICANN’s website, THC Magazine elevates, “[…] the perspectives of Indigenous communities in the hemp and cannabis field to promote our collective understanding of how we can work to protect our sister plant from exploitation while reclaiming and de-stigmatizing the traditional and spiritual use known since time immemorial.”

CBD

• Bolivar Hemp Co. (Denver) is a hemp-lifestyle brand, founded by hemp activist, Larisa Bolivar, in 2018. Bolivar Hemp specializes in all natural products with high-quality ingredients. Products include lotions, massage balms, scrubs and creams.

• Evo Hemp (Boulder, Colo.) was co-founded by Ari Sherman and Jourdan Samel, who also founded Hemp Health. According to Evo’s website, “The Hemp Health mission is to help lift rural communities out of poverty with industrial hemp farming. Evo Hemp launched a CBD product line in partnership with Native American tribes aimed at using industrial hemp as a way to empower small indigenous farmers and revitalize native farming communities.”

• Good Earth Hemp Company (South Dakota) is a Native and veteran-owned brand, located on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation. The company offers a variety of CBD products, running from oils for pets and humans, to salves and gels. 

• Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska Department of Agriculture (White Cloud, Kan.) The Iowa Tribal Executive Committee recently approved the diversification of their croplands to include high-CBD industrial hemp. “The Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska plans on being at the front lines of the industrial hemp industry for Native American tribes and will be leading the integration of this plant into their already growing transition towards regenerative agriculture,” according to their website. 

• Jade Premium CBD focuses on “creating top of the line organic and non-GMO CBD infused products,” that are sourced from U.S.-grown industrial hemp, according to the company’s website. Products include tinctures, lotions and merchandise. 

• Native Humboldt Botanicals (Humboldt County, Calif.) is a line of luncury CBD products — including bath soaks, relief balms, infused facials and massages, and more — created by Native Humboldt Farms. 

• Navajo Gold Company is a pesticide and GMO-free “Premium Cannabis Company, developed by Aqueous Sciences in association with the Native American Agriculture and Commerce company based on the Sovereign Navajo Nation,” according to the business’s website. 

• The Native Oil LLC (Oklahoma) is “formed under jurisdiction of the Sac and Fox Nation, Oklahoma. We are dedicated to the creation of long-term economic development and job creation for Native American Tribes and their citizens,” according to the company’s website. 

• Tribe CBD + Cannabinoids (Austin, Texas) offers high-quality, farm-to-seed, third party tested cannabinoid-rich products, including edibles, tinctures, topicals, CBD shots and more. Co-founded by Reena Kaven and Rhonda Bly.

• White Plume Hemp (Pine Ridge Reservation, S.D.) is a soon to be launched industrial hemp company, founded by Alex White Plume, who has “fought for the right to bring this sacred plant back to the native people of South Dakota. They know hemp will help transform the families and communities on the Pine Ridge Reservation – the poorest county in the U.S.,” according to the website. 

By Mary Jane Oatman, Melissa Hutsell, Taylor Short and Katie Bryan

This is an on-going list. The Emerald will continue to update it. Please reach out or comment below to be included. Click here for a list of Black-Owned Cannabis Companies,  Asian-Owned Cannabis Companies, and Hispanic and Latinx-Owned Cannabis Companies.

Indigenous Americans Have Deep Roots to Cannabis