The Canada Marijuana Boom: Opportunities in Indigenous Territory
October 3 – 4, 2016
The Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

For over 10 years Native Nation Events has been setting the standard by developing over 100 conferences with the most relevant and cutting edge topics and speakers in the U.S. Native American Market. We are known for being a leader in creating incredible networking and educational opportunities in the areas of Native American Economic Development, Hospitality, Investment Diversification, Leadership, Human Resources as well as being the producer of one of Native America’s first Marijuana Conferences.
We are extremely happy to announce The Canada Marijuana Boom: Opportunities in Indigenous Territory taking place on October 3rd & 4th at the Sheraton Wall Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
As the anticipated legalization of recreational marijuana draws nearer, so do more questions. Come hear prominent experts in the industry discuss the most recent legal, economic, social, and policy changes that are involved in the marijuana market that can help you as a leader of a Band decide if entering into the marijuana market is for you. This is a must-attend event if your band is looking for a new source of revenue or job creation, or if you are a professional with products or expertise looking to partner with a Band to take advantage of the many benefits offered when entering into a business relationship on reserve land.
To speak with a representative about attending, speaking, sponsoring or exhibiting, please call us 201-857-5333 or email us at sales@nativenationevents.org
Topics Include:
- Legal updates
- The benefits of a legal recreational Marijuana Industry in Canada
- Indigenous Bands Partnering with Private Corporations
- The Cannabis Industry as a source of economic development
- What foreign investors need to know
- Success stories and lessons learned
- Medical Marijuana – the science, facts, politics and uses
- Understanding the difference between marijuana and hemp
- The ABCs of growing and extracting marijuana and hemp
Who Should Attend:
- First Nation/Indigenous Leaders
- Council Members
- Cannabusiness Professionals
- Insurance Professionals
- Finance and Legal Professionals
- Information and Technology Professionals
- Risk Managers
- Chief Financial Officers
- Economic Development Professionals
- Industry Consultants
- Government agencies

Hotel Information
Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre
Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre
1088 Burrard St.
Vancouver, BC V6Z 2R9, Canada
+1 604-331-1000
The Canadian Marijuana Boom: Opportunities in Indigenous Territory
October 3rd – 4th, 2016
Monday, October 3rd
8:00-9:00 AM
Registration & Breakfast in the Exhibit Area
9:00-9:15 AM
Welcoming Remarks
Justin O’Connor
President
Native Nation Events, LLC
Conference Co-Chair Welcoming Remarks
Sandra Gogal
Partner
Miller Thomson LLP
9:15-10:15 AM
Legal Structure Update: What is the Current Model Looking Like?
Update on what the current legal and regulatory framework for medical marijuana is looking like in Canada:
- What is the status of the Medical Marijuana Purpose Regulations in the wake of the Allard decision?
- Will ACMPR or something similar be required for recreational providers as it has for medical marijuana producers to help keep it away from minors & ensure quality of products?
- Status of Authorization to Possess and Designated Production Licenses.
- Update on Charter cases.
- Legal status of Compassion Care Centres and Dispensaries.
- Whose jurisdiction is it anyway?
- Examination of the roles of federal, provincial and municipal jurisdictions.
- What steps are being considered to ensure the medical marijuana market does not become overly regulated & taxed making sure medical marijuana is still affordable & avoiding a black market oligopoly.
- If the Federal Government makes recreational marijuana strictly regulated & restrictive, many people will look at it as being prohibition with a different dealer.
- An update on the new Task Force mandates and their priorities for a new regulatory framework.
- What will the new world look like? An exploration of possible new legal regimes.
- If legalized Federally, what role with the provincial and municipal governments play?
- Will medical marijuana and recreational marijuana be treated differently?
- Will there still be room to grow at home for personal use in a commercialized billion dollar industry?
- Will edibles hit the market soon?
Presenter:
Sandra Gogal
Partner
Miller Thompson LLP
10:15-10:45 AM
Morning Break in the Exhibit Area
10:45-12:00 PM
Are you interested in becoming a Licensed Producer? The Four Essential Elements of Success
- Market conditions and size.
- The right application.
- Unique nature of the building design.
- Available grants and funds from the Federal and Provincial Governments.
- Harm reduction strategies.
- Coordinating and communicating with the various Federal departments and agencies.
- Structuring general partnerships with joint venture partners.
- Creating economic zones within the First Nations Land.
- Leveraging expertise outside of the First Nations resources.
Moderator:
George Robinson
President & Lead Consultant
CL2G Consulting
Presenters:
Jason Calla
Consultant
CL2G Consulting
Dr. Lyle Oberg
Independent Chairman
Siksika Herbz
Lorna Dumaresq
President, Managing Director
Siksika Herbz
12:00-1:00 PM
Lunch in the Exhibit Area
1:00-2:00 PM
Where the Opportunities Lie for Private Industry and Indigenous Peoples to Partner in the Marijuana Business
- What Indigenous peoples bring to the table.
- What to consider if you are investing in the marijuana business – financing and security considerations when dealing with indigenous lands.
- How Canada’s Constitution Act, 1982, which requires governments to consult with Indigenous peoples with respect to decisions which may affect their rights, has evolved to encourage partnerships with Indigenous peoples in project development and how this may serve as a guide to partnership opportunities in the marijuana business.
- What does the notification requirement to Indian Bands under the ACMPR mean? What information will bands require? Will there be opportunities to partner?
- What to consider when entering into a partnership to grow marijuana: what the regulations require from an operational standpoint.
- Learn from those who have partnered with Indigenous bands in Canada and what have been lessons learned.
Moderator:
Jacob Taylor
Managing Director
The Pontiac Group
Presenter:
Jonathon Araujo
Managing Partner
The Pontiac Group
2:00 – 3:00 PM
Band Leaders’ Roundtable: Investing in the Cannabis Industry as a Source of Economic Development
- By establishing a sales tax, a new source of revenue can be created to help offset the shortage from the crown. What could it mean for your people when it comes to basic services?
- The government will be looking at effective taxation that will leave flexibility in creating the final price of consumers. Examine how that can affect sales and consumption.
- What are the best ways to have cultural understanding, build trust and gain respect to do business that outsiders need to understand?
- How do you start to orchestrate a successful collaborative relationship with an industry partner and how do you prepare for it?
- It’s no secret that Indigenous people all over have a legacy of substance abuse, and band leaders are trying to outweigh the good vs. the bad of entering into the marijuana industry and the long-term effects it can have on their people.
- This panel of leaders will provide their insight and thought processes when asked the question—“Do you see your band getting involved in the marijuana business?” And if so what might be the social ramifications?
Moderator:
Jamie Filipuzzi
Owner
Way2Grow
Presenters:
Shawn O’Connor
Economic Development Director
Homalco First Nations
Chief Ernest Wesley
Chief
Wesley First Nation
Terry Roycroft
President & CEO
Medicinal Cannabis Resource Centre
3:00 – 3:30 PM
Afternoon Break in the Exhibit Area
3:30-4:30 PM
Success Stories & Lessons Learned: Canadian Indigenous Bands and U.S. Tribes that have Partnered with the Private Sector and have led to Successful Partnerships in & out of the Cannabis Industry
- There are many synergies between the Native American Tribes in the U.S. and the Indigenous Bands in Canada, and the interest in the marijuana industry is one of them as legalization in both Canada and the U.S. grows.
- While some bands and tribes will elect not to get involved with the marijuana industry, several tribes in the U.S. have taken a wait and see approach and stay current on the industry in case an opportunity presents itself and the leadership and their people decide to change course. It is important that communities as a whole are well-informed and aware of the possible benefits and consequences associated with this process of entering into the industry.
- As more bands and tribes announce their entrance into the Cannabis Industry, the media impact is just one of many obstacles to overcome. The first few tribes to do so in both the U.S. and Canada have been faced with increased amounts of scrutiny not only by the media and various levels of government but in some cases their own members as well.
- What legal hurdles did they have to battle? How did they go about creating a solid business plan and deciding which industry professionals to work with, and how did they decide on the proper funding mechanism?
- Looking back what would they have changed and to date what has this venture meant to their people and what does the future look like going forward for them in the industry?
Presenters:
David Chelette
Vice Chairman
Santa Ysabel Tribal Business Development Corporation
President
Tribal Business Advisors
Dave Vialpando
Executive Director
Tribal Cannabis Regulatory Agency- Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel
4:30-5:00 PM
How to Secure Medical Marijuana Patients through Social Media
Presenter:
Cheryl Shuman
CEO & Founder
Cheryl Shuman, Inc.
4:30 PM
Monday’s Sessions Conclude
Tuesday, October 4th
7:30-8:30 AM
Registration & Breakfast in the Exhibit Area
8:30 – 9:15 AM
Medical Cannabis in the Treatment of PTSD and Addiction
Growing pre-clinical evidence attests to the therapeutic potential of cannabis in the treatment of PTSD, and an increasing number of Canadians affected by PTSD report using this substance for symptom relief, and to reduce the use of prescription medications, alcohol, and other drugs. However, to date, no clinical trials have tested the safety and efficacy of cannabis for treating PTSD symptoms. This presentation will provide an overview of the state of knowledge regarding medical Cannabis, PTSD, and addiction, as well as an update on the first Canadian Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) of vaporized cannabis in the treatment of PTSD, which is being conducted at the University of British Columbia in partnership with Tilray, a federally authorized Licensed Producer of medical cannabis. It is anticipated that the results of this research will add to the state of knowledge regarding the potential risks and benefits of cannabis as a treatment for PTSD, and allow physicians and patients to make more informed treatment decisions.
Presenter:
Philippe Lucas
Vice President, Patient Research & Advocacy
Tilray
9:15 – 10:15 AM
The Politics & Science Behind Medical Marijuana and its Uses
- Advancing the business side of medical marijuana and the effect, if any, the legalization of recreational marijuana will have on the medicinal side of the industry.
- By separating the medical and recreational market, will Health Canada be creating conflicting standards?
- In the U.S. a few tribes have decided to enter into the medical marijuana business and several more are looking into it. Does it make a difference to First Nations in Canada when choosing whether or not to get involved in the industry?
- How has marijuana been shown to have a positive effect and even reduce damage from different medical conditions such as Cancer, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Chronic Pain?
- It is also widely reported to have a positive effect on conditions such as Epilepsy and Autism because of the stimulus to the brain, therefore causing increased brain cell activity.
- Medical Marijuana is proven to reduce anxiety, depression, and positively impact your overall mental health.
- With the ACMPR in effect, Health Canada is now allowing safety testing of medical marijuana at federal laboratories for registered patients. This will allow patients to test their own homegrown medical marijuana for potency, as well as any contaminants.
- Explore the opportunities and challenges associated with cannabis research and how it can affect a medical marijuana business.
Moderator:
Cheryl Shuman
CEO & Founder
Cheryl Shuman, Inc.
Presenters:
Dr. Barry Kurzer
President & Chief Executive Officer
DelShen Therapeutics
Kathleen Thompson, PhD
Founder & Principal Researcher
TomKat Communications
Zach Walsh, PhD
Associate Professor of Psychology
The University of British Columbia
Dr. Natasha Ryz
Co-Founder, Entrepreneur, & Researcher
Functional Blends Ltd.
Ryz Remi Vancouver
10:15-10:45 AM
Morning Break in the Exhibit Area
10:45-11:45 AM
The Latest Technology and Cultivation of Marijuana & Products Created
- It is important prior to entering into the marijuana industry that you understand the terminology, tools, and technology needed depending on the type of enterprise you choose to invest in.
- This panel will feature some of the most successful growers in Canada. We will hear firsthand how they got started in the business and the mistakes they made in route to becoming a leader in the industry today and learn about the various types of new and existing technologies. What are the different methods and philosophies for growing various grades of marijuana? What are the benefits of growing in greenhouses vs. not? Once you have grown it what do you do with it?
- What resources does it take and what effect will it have on your land? In California alone, Cannabis cultivation is already responsible for at least 3% of the state’s total energy and 1% of the entire U.S. consumption. What about the water implications?
- Understand which business model best fits your band’s needs and goals. Discover how each step in the growing process can help create jobs and how revenue can stream in when all of these processes come together.
- Some believe that cannabis concentrated products are the way of the future and can eventually replace smoking of cannabis. Economists expect sales of cannabis-infused products to soar further than the sales of the traditional marijuana plant.
- From oils to creams to cannabis-infused food we will hear from the experts of what sells and the latest trends in the market.
Moderator:
Cheryl Shuman
CEO & Founder
Cheryl Shuman, Inc.
Presenters:
Georges Routhier
Chief Development Officer
DelShen Therapeutics
Sarah Bradshaw
Herbalist, Seed Saver, Ethnobotanist
Flower of Life
11:45 AM
Tuesday’s Sessions Conclude
0 - B
- 3C-Comprehensive Cannabis Consulting
- Acres Medical TD, LLC
- Advanced Nutrients
- All Nations Development Alliance
- Alpine
- American Cannabis Company
- Americann Management
- Association of Commercial Cannabis Laboratories
- B&S Orr, LLC
- Bear River Band of Rohnerville Rancheria
- Berry Creek Rancheria
- Big Sandy Rancheria Band of Western Mono Indians
- Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians
- BioNeva Innovations
- Boulder Organic Food Group, LLC
- Bridgeport Indian Colony
- Bridgeport Indian Development Corporation
- Bulbulyan Consulting Group
C - E
- C4Ever Systems
- Cabazon Band of Mission Indians
- Cachil DeHe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Indian Community
- Cafe Serendipity
- CalCann Holdings
- California Gold Extractions
- CannaNative
- CannaRelief
- CannaVest
- Cape Fox Corporation
- CapitalGlass
- Care Therapeutics
- Cashinbis
- CBaker Consulting, LLC
- Cherokee Nation
- Cheryl Shuman, Inc
- Chickaloon Village
- Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians
- CNN-Fox Business-CNBC
- Cohen Grassroots Research
- Colorado River Indian Tribe
- Comanche Nation
- Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation
- Connor & Connor, PLLC
- Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians
- Crossfire Connection Insurance Associates
- Dixie Brands, Inc.
- Dorsey & Whitney LLP
- DSGW Architects
- Dykema Gossett
- E. Wicker Law Office
- Eden Labs, LLC
- Egghart & Associates Accounting Firm
- Emerald Enterprise Inc.
- Emerald Tribal Consulting
- Enterprise Rancheria of Estom Yumeka Maidu Tribe
- Euflora, LLC.
F - I
- Fantasy Springs Casino
- First Nations Economic Development Corporation
- Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe
- Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
- Forest Consulting, LLC
- Forest County Potawatomi
- Forever Flowering Greenhouses
- Forever Green Indoors
- Fort Belknap Indian Community
- Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation
- Fort Peck Assiniboine & Sioux Tribes
- Fort Sill Chiricahua Apache Tribe
- Fredericks Peebles & Morgan LLP
- Freedom Seed & Feed
- Garvey Schubert Barer
- Gila River Indian Community
- Greenberg Traurig
- GreenBroz, Inc.
- Greener Futures
- Greenville Rancheria of Maidu Indians
- Grow Club USA
- Guardian Data Systems
- Hannahville Indian Community
- Healthy Heart Hydroponics Corporation
- Heliospectra AB
- Hemp Circle Industries
- HIGH TIMES Magazine
- Hip to be Hemp, LLC
- Ho-Chunk Nation Health Department
- Hoopa Valley Tribal Insurance
- Hoopa Valley Tribe
- Hualapai Tribe
- Hydrobuilder.com
- IBSC
- Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel
- Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel Tribal Cannabis Regulatory Agency
- Inaja-Cosmit Band of Mission Indians
- Island Mountain Development Group
J - M
- Jackson Rancheria Casino & Hotel
- Juniper International
- K&S Technologies
- Karuk Tribe
- Kewa Pueblo
- Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma
- Kind Financial
- La Jolla Band of Luiseno Mission Indians
- La Posta Band of Mission Indians
- Lac Vieux Desert/Rosette
- Las Vegas Paiute Tribe
- Law Office of Ariel Clark
- Law Office of Eugene R. Madrigal
- Law Offices of Charles R. Zeh, Esq.
- Law Offices of Kenneth R. Elliott
- Law Offices of Randall T. Longwith
- Leafhead
- Lighting Science Group
- Link to Banking
- Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians
- Los Coyotes Band
- Lush Lighting Inc
- Manchester/Pt. Arena Band of Pomo Indians
- Mandaree Enterprises
- Manzanita Band of Diegueno Mission Indians
- Manzanita Band of the Kumeyaay Nation
- Marigene/Hempgene
- Marijuana Business Media
- Marijuana Venture
- Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
- Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
- Milander Law Office
- Mississauga New Credit First Nation
- MNPCO, LLC
- Moapa Band of Paiutes
- Moccasin Path Productions
- Mohegan Indian Tribe
- Mooretown Rancheria of Maidu Indians
- Morongo Band of Mission Indians
- My Compassion
N - P
- Nambe Pueblo
- Narragansett Indian Tribe
- National American Indian Veterans
- National Cannabis Trade Organization
- National Indian Cannabis Coalition
- Native American Cannabis Association
- Native American Marketing Enterprises
- Native American University
- Native Insight, LLC
- Navajo Agricultural Products Industry
- Nevada Medical Marijuana Association
- Nez Perce Tribe
- Noo-Kayet Development Corporation
- Northern Ute Tribe – Native Voice Therapy
- Oaksterdam University
- Oglala Sioux Tribe
- Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law
- Omaha Tribe of Nebraska
- Ona Healthcare
- Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin
- Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Oklahoma
- Outco Labs
- Paiute Tribe
- Pala Band of Mission Indians
- Pauma Band of Luiseno Mission Indians
- Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission
- Pit River Gaming Commission
- Pit River Tribe/Kwahn Corporation
- Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe
- Port Madison Enterprises/Suquamish Tribe
- POWTEC Holding LLC Alaska
- Premier Media Services, Inc.
- Prime Harvest Distributing
- ProVerde Laboratories, Inc.
- Pueblo Nambe
- Pueblo of Pojoaque
- Pueblo of San Ildefonso
- Puyallup Tribe of Indians
- Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe
Q - S
- Quartz Valley Indian Reservation
- Quaser Aircraft Corporation
- RainMaking International
- Rauch International
- Red Earth Casino
- Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians
- Red Willow Systems / Indoor Garden Supply
- Redding Rancheria
- Redding Rancheria Win River Resort and Casino
- Redwood Valley Little River Band of Pomo Indians
- RezRx, LLC
- Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians
- Rincon Economic Development Corporation
- Riordon Consulting
- Riverside San Bernardino County Indian Health
- Robins Kaplan LLP
- San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
- San Diego K9 Security
- San Diego State University
- San Pasqual Economic Development Agency
- Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians
- Santa Rosa Rancheria Tachi Yokut/Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino
- Santa Ysabel Tribal Development Corporation
- Santo Domingo Pueblo
- Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe
- Scythian Solutions
- Seneca Development Corporation
- Seneca Nation of Indians
- Shades of Green
- Shakopee Mdewkanton Sioux Community of Minnesota
- Shingle Springs Tribal Gaming Authority
- Sierra Wellness Connection
- Sitting Bull College
- Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians
- Smart Pot
- Smith, Shellenberger & Salazar, LLC.
- Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians
- Sokaogon Chippewa Community
- Solar Buddy LLC
- Spiker Consulting Group
- St. Criox Chippewa Indians of WI
- Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
- Stem Cell Biosynergy
- Sunlight Supply, Inc.
- Surna, Inc.
T - U
- TBE Architects (Thalden Boyd Emery)
- The Arcview Group
- The Lower Brule Sioux Tribe
- The Marijuana Investment Company
- The National Cannabis Industry Association
- The Resolution Bank
- Thlopthlocco Tribal Town
- Tohono O’odham Nation
- Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma
- Tonto Apache Tribe of Arizona
- Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians
- Tribal Cannabis Industry Association
- Tribal Delegate
- Tribal First
- TriCor
- Trinidad Rancheria
- True Fresh HPP
- Tulalip Tribes of Washington
- Tule River Economic Development Corporation
- Tule River Indian Tribe
- Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe of LA
- Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians
- Tuolumne Economic Development Authority
- Turtle Mountain Tribe
- Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians
- U.S. Department of the Interior – Division of Energy & Mineral Development
- UAIC/Thunder Valley Casino Resort
- Union for Medical Marijuana Patients
- United Auburn Indian Community /Thunder Valley Casino Resort
- US Attorney’s Office
- Ute Mountain Tribe
- Ute Tribal Enterprises
- Ute Tribe
- Utu Utu Gwaitu Paiute Tribe
V - Z
- Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians
- Warm Springs Economic Development Corporation
- Win River Resort & Casino
- Winnego Tribe of Nebraska
- Women Grow
- Yavapai Apache Nation
- Yerington Paiute Tribe of the Yerington Colony & Campbell Ranch