1st Sovereignty Summit to Bring Together Tribal Nations for Cannabis Education

The first Sovereignty Summit will take place Sept. 5-7 at the Cookies U campus in the Redwoods of Humboldt County, Calif. The event—organized by cannabis industry veteran Lindsey Renner, owner of Native Humboldt Farms—will bring together tribal leaders from throughout the U.S. and will focus on “education, collaboration and impact.”

Networking events, roundtable discussions (sponsored by Cannabis Business Times), educational panels and a facilities tour will take place throughout the summit.

For example, on Sept. 6, the panel “Navigating the Sovereign Cannabis Industry: Legal Frameworks for Tribal Cannabis Ventures,” will explore:

• The interplay between tribal sovereignty, federal law, and state regulations
• Strategies for asserting and maintaining tribal jurisdiction over cannabis operations
• Negotiating partnerships with state and local governments
• Leveraging relationships with other tribes and cannabis industry leaders to enhance business opportunities
• The potential for intertribal and interstate commerce under evolving legal frameworks

Speakers include: Leonika Charging-Davidson, Cedar Tree Native Law; Seth Pearman, attorney general of Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe; and Cher Old Elk, general counsel for Fort Belknap.

The panel, “The Power of Sovereignty: Shaping Tribal Futures in the Cannabis Industry,” will explore what sovereignty—defined by rightful status, authority, and autonomy—really means, and what it is and isn’t. The session also will delve into sovereignty in intrastate markets; sovereignty in interstate commerce; and sovereignty in the global market.

Cookies will also host a marketing panel to share knowledge of what they’ve learned while building Cookies. Speakers from Cookies include Parker Berling, president; Crystal Millican, senior vice president of retail and marketing; and Ian Habenicht, senior vice president of finance.

And Berling will be presenting the event keynote.

“I've been consulting in the tribal space for the last two years, and through all of my interactions I've been trying to get a clear picture of what's already existing in the tribal market and then what is needed to shape sustainability and cohesion within the tribal market nationally,” Renner told CBT. “We are seeing a lot of tribes getting into cannabis, forming codes, regulations, and cannabis commissions and building out operations. It’s a very exciting time!

 

© Photo by Dave Woody

 

“As all of these tribes are setting up separately, it's extremely important that the tribal leaders get together to talk with one another. The goal eventually is a successfully structured and sustainable national sovereign cannabis market,” she said. “In order to achieve this, and to make sure that the individual regulatory structures have cohesion, these types of events are so incredibly important.”

RELATED: ‘Cannabis Led Me Home’: Overcoming a wildfire that destroyed her grow and home, Lindsey Renner, owner of Native Humboldt Farms, details how cannabis helped her find her purpose and champion her Native American heritage.

Renner said she is tapping into the network of lobbyists, activists, business leaders, advocates, and vendor partners she has built over 17 years in the California cannabis space, including seven years in the regulated market. “Cookies Enterprises is one of those amazing relationships that I have been able to build,” she said. “The Sovereignty Summit is a chance for all of us in the California industry to come together to offer support and resources to tribal nations as they embark on their journey to build out their new and improved sovereign market nationally.”

In addition to support from Cookies, The Sovereignty Summit is sponsored by Aroya (primary sponsor), as well as Lost Coast Plant Therapy.

For more information or to register or sponsor the event, contact: Lindsey@nativehumboldtfarms.com.