Third Native American Cannabis Conference

December 5 – 6, 2016

Viejas Casino & Resort, Alpine, CA

Details

The Third Native American Cannabis Conference is taking place on December 5th & 6th at the Viejas Casino & Resort in Alpine, CA.

Prominent experts in the industry will come together to discuss the most recent legal, economic, social, and policy changes that are allowing Native America to enter into the cannabis market. Every day there is change, and we intend to sum it all up for you! This is a must-attend event if your tribe is considering other means to drive revenue and create jobs, or if you are a professional with products or expertise looking to partner with a tribe 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

Who Should Attend:

Tribal 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 & Venue

Hotel Information

Viejas Casino & Resort

Viejas Casino & Resort
5000 Willows Road
Alpine, CA 91901

1-800-847-6537

Agenda

Third Native American Cannabis Conference

December 5th-6th, 2016

Viejas Casino & Resort, Alpine CA

Monday, December 5th

7:30-8:30 AM

Registration & Continental Breakfast in Oak Ballrooms A and B

emerald-kingdom-greenhouse

8:30-9:00 AM

Opening Prayer

Opening Remarks

Justin O’Connor
President
Native Nation Events, LLC

Conference Co-Chair Remarks

Cheryl Shuman
CEO/Founder
Cheryl Shuman, Inc.

David Chelette
Vice Chairman
Santa Ysabel Tribal Business Development Corp.
President
Tribal Business Advisors

General Session in Oak Ballroom C

9:00-10:00 AM

What will the Trump Administration, Republican House & Republican Senate mean for the Cannabis Industry?

This moderator-led roundtable will feature Industry experts as well as political insiders who will offer up their views on where this industry might be heading.
With as much as 89% of Americans in favor of cannabis being used for medicinal purposes, will politicians really look to roll back or just slow down the momentum going forward?
We will hear thoughts on both medical and recreational industries.
In the 90s, President-Elect Trump was quoted as saying he “believed in” legalization of cannabis. He has pulled back while running for President. Now that he is the President-Elect where does he stand?
How do the election day results delay any progress towards a Federal banking system being created?
Will the DEA and FDA be governed or persuaded to act or not act to make changes necessary to re-classify cannabis to be a schedule 2 narcotic?

Dan Lewis
President & Chief Executive Officer
Native Insight, LLC

Tom Rodgers
President
Green Grass Solutions, Inc.

Sean Eubanks
Vice President of Business Development
Strainwise

Presenters:

10:00-10:30 AM

Morning Break in Oak Ballrooms A and B

General Sessions in Oak Ballroom C

10:30-12:00 PM

A New Beginning: Economic Growth, Success Stories & Lessons Learned from being one of the First Entering into the New Frontier

This moderator-led roundtable will feature leaders from Tribal Governments and their enterprises who were both visionaries to begin the process and brave knowing they would be in the spotlight, how did they deal with it and what advice can they offer up as your tribe moves forward?
You will hear firsthand what hurdles they battled and how they went about creating a business plan around an industry they knew almost nothing about. How did they decide which industry professionals to work with, best practices & choosing a business model?
As one of the first tribes to announce or enter the cannabis industry do you feel you were unfairly faced with increased amounts of scrutiny not only by the media but by Federal, State, and local Governments?
In a new and very controversial industry where every local, state and federal government agency is involved, how realistic is it that a tribe will be able to maintain some sense of sovereignty while entering into the cannabis industry?
With poverty rates on tribal reservations being as high as 22% and the unemployment rate averaging 14%, some even as high as 35%, what impact can the cannabis industry have on these tribal communities.
Learn how to continue to adapt your business plan as the industry continues to evolve.

Moderator:

Cheryl Shuman
CEO/Founder
Cheryl Shuman, Inc.

Presenters:

David Chelette
Vice Chairman
Santa Ysabel Tribal Business Development Corporation
President
Tribal Business Advisors

Virgil Perez
Chairman
Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel

Bill Sterud
Chairman
Puyallup Tribe of Indians

Dave Vialpando
Executive Director
Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel Tribal Cannabis Regulatory Agency

Alan Archuleta
Cannabis Commissioner
Mooretown Rancheria

Pi-Ta Pitt
Board Member
Warm Springs Economic Development Corporation

12:00-1:00 PM

Lunch in Oak Ballrooms A and B

1:00-2:00 PM

Legal Hurdles, Managing Risk, Lessons Learning from Others Mistakes, & Protecting your Tribe from will be the most Litigious Industry Ever

With the legalization of both medical and recreational cannabis on the rise state by state, how do you successfully enter into the cannabis industries and avoid the pitfalls from Federal, State or Local Government?
A few states have partnered with tribes on legislation addressing the regulation, production, and sale of medical & recreational cannabis on the reservation.
According to the DEA, cannabis will remain a Schedule 1 Narcotic, will gaming-centric tribes have flexibility given the parameters surrounding gaming licenses and current regulations to enter into this market?
You will gain knowledge on the ins and outs of your legal rights, how to avoid raids and other legal hurdles that may delay your enterprise.
What are the variations states’ regulatory structures, and what can that mean for your tribe and its enterprise?
This panel will feature experts in Risk Management, lawyers with expertise in Indian and Cannabis law as well as criminal defense and prosecution will touch on everything you need to know such as corporate structures, labor laws, securities, legal protection strategies, compliance across local, state and federal regulatory schemes and other risk management factors to take into account.

Presenters:

Aaron Pelley
Attorney/Owner
NW MJ Law

Keith Anderson
Partner
Ceiba Legal, LLP

2:00 – 2:45 PM

Breakout Sessions

Track A in Oak Ballroom C

The New Cabazon: Experts Say California’s November Passage of Legalization of Recreational Cannabis Will Have a Global Impact. Imagine how it can Benefit Indian Country?

As anticipated when this agenda was created, Californians have voted to create the largest legal recreational cannabis market in the world on November 8th by passing and approving Proposition 64, causing what most are calling a ripple effect across the globe.
Just under three decades ago, Indian gaming consisted of a few tribes’ high-stakes bingo halls and card rooms in a handful of states. Today, tribal gaming is the fastest growing segment of legalized gambling in the U.S. Is it possible to imagine that the cannabis industry can be America’s next insatiable appetite and if so, is Indian Country ready to take a seat at the head of the table?
In the landmark case of 1987, California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, the court ruled that the grant to civil jurisdiction under P.L. 280 does not include regulatory authority; therefore, the State laws relating to gaming cannot be enforced against Indians. This judgment reaffirmed tribal sovereignty and opened the door for Indian gaming. At the time, though, no one quite knew how momentous it would be. How can law 280 also be applied in the cannabis industry for tribes? What can this mean for Federally Recognized Tribes?
Five Easy Mistakes to Make When Selecting a Consultant

Presenters:

Omar Figueroa
Attorney
Law Offices of Omar Figueroa

Blue Quisquis
President
Emerald Enterprise, Inc.

Bethany Niebauer
Vice President of Regulatory Compliance & Licensing
Strainwise

Track B in the Sycamore Room

How to Reap the Rewards of what Many Industry Experts are Predicting will be a Booming Commercial and Industrial Cultivation Hemp Industry

It is very important to understand the difference between hemp and cannabis. Hemp is a distinct variety of cannabis and contains less than 1% of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. It is a tall, slender, fibrous plant similar to flax. The DEA defines cannabis as any cannabis sativa plant that contains THC which includes hemp, even though it is well below the level that produces intoxication if consumed.
It is important to note that more than two years ago, President, Barack Obama signed legislation authorizing the limited cultivation of hemp, and in 2014, hemp was finally being to the Farm Bill. The industry is starting to see an opportunity for more domestic growing and not just importing.
Prior to the 2014 Farm Bill, the U.S. imported most of its hemp from California and China to make its legal hemp products as only 10 states had very limited cultivation. In 2015, research shows that we imported $40 million of hemp and sold $573 million of products alone. Since the Bill was signed there is a total of 29 states that have legalized hemp cultivation and that number is expected to increase, as is the number of producers within the states as demand for the product increases as technology catches up.
Various parts of the plant are used in making textiles, paper, paints, clothing, plastics, lotions, CBD- based medicines, supplements, cosmetics, foods, insulation, animal feed and an array of other products and many industrial applications.

Presenters:

Cetan Wanbli Williams
Chief Executive Officer
The Buffalo Grass Company

Celeste Miranda
Chief Executive Officer/Founder
Cannabis Marketing Lab

2:45-3:15 PM

Afternoon Break in Oak Ballrooms A and B

the-buffalo-grass-company

3:15 – 4:30 PM

Medical Cannabis: The Science, Politics and Legality All In One

Operational component-What should tribes do to protect themselves.
The DEA announced they will allow further studies on medical cannabis. How will this affect the industry in the years to come?
Over two dozen states across the country have laws on the books making it legal to use cannabis for medicinal purposes for a wide range of ailments such as epilepsy, autism, chronic pain and PTSD.
Understand the difference between various types of medical cannabis vs. legal recreational cannabis vs. illegal cannabis bought off the street and their different properties.
This panel will feature medical, legal and political experts who will cover the politics surrounding medical cannabis access, the truth about its medicinal properties and the science behind it.
We will hear why cannabis should not be a Schedule 1 drug, which is the most tightly restricted category reserved for drugs that have “no currently accepted medical use”.
This discussion will bring us up to date on the findings and usefulness that medical cannabis has created as well as the date legal challenges and hurdles patients face each day.
We will hear from experts in the medical community, both pro and against, on whether cannabis Therapy has validity to it or not.

Moderator:

Pat Jewell
Lead Consultant
Tribal First

Presenters:

Duke Rodriguez
President & CEO
Ultra Health

Greta Carter
President
The GCAR Companies

Rachel Cooper
Chief Executive Officer
Monkey Grass Farms

john-abrams John S. Abrams, PhD
Principal
Abrams BioConsulting

4:30 PM

Day 1 Concludes

Tuesday, December 6th

8:00-9:00 AM

Registration & Continental Breakfast in Oak Ballrooms A and B

emerald-e

General Sessions in Oak Ballroom C

9:00-9:15 AM

Conference Co-Chair Day 1 Highlights

Cheryl Shuman
CEO/Founder
Cheryl Shuman, Inc.

9:15-10:00 AM

How to Enter into a Potentially Very Lucrative Industry When Bank Regulatory Issues Impede Cannabis Industry Financing Opportunities

With the federal government still considering cannabis illegal as defined by the Controlled Substances Act as a Schedule 1 drug, traditional bank regulators fear prosecution for aiding and abetting illegal drug dealers. They either don’t accept or shut-down pot-business accounts and decline to give loans.
Resulting from the November 8th elections, 29 states and the District of Columbia have legal state cannabis businesses. Over 1000 entrepreneurs will be operating their businesses on almost an entirely cash basis as they struggle to find banks to take their money.
Operating without a traditional banking system creates many negative issues. First, it is impossible for states to calculate if they are receiving the correct amount of taxes from the consumers. Cannabis businesses are resorting to alternatives such as virtual currency, cashless ATM/debit machines and point of sale readers, investment funds and pre-paid smart cards that tend to foster a black market and criminal activity.
The cannabis industry is growing and as it grows so will tax revenue, and as with any revenue stream governments, including Tribal Governments will have an opportunity to monetize those revenues by issuing bonds. This will free up capital for an array of projects. Similar to the tobacco bonds, it is just a matter of time until we see cannabis revenue bonds as another product within the capital markets.
We will get a banking update and see what is being done to create a legitimate banking system for the cannabis industry. Why does it seem that the Federal Government gives its winks and nods in memos such as the Cole Memo and even within FinCen, giving bank regulators the appearance that they can go ahead and accept deposits from companies who are not breaking one or more of the eight priorities that the DOJ will be looking for and enforce as outlined in the Cole Memorandum of 2013? Why not just come out and say it is ok? Will it take an act of Congress to change the Controlled Substance Act of 1970 for banks to feel comfortable to open into what many believe will be a market as large as the confectionery industry?
Even with the outcome of the election, it is inevitable that there will be the entrance of a traditional banking system for the cannabis industry. It is imperative that tribal enterprises and governments do what they need to be doing to stay compliant when it comes to everyone else.

Moderator:

Justin Cooper
Partner
Orrick, Herrington, & Sutcliffe LLP

Presenter:

Adam Crabtree
Chief Executive Officer
Nationwide Compliance Specialists

10:00-10:30 AM

Morning Break in Oak Ballrooms A and B

10:30-11:15 AM

Product Demonstration

The Evolution of Combustible Cannabis

Imagine a product that:

Is a shelf-ready solution.
Frees your staff to sell instead of roll.
Looks and feels like a traditional Cigarette.
Means you never, ever run out of “pre-rolls”.
Is packed in Certified Child-resistant 5 and 10 packs.
Is smooth, consistent and high quality… every time.
Is presented in your choice of 3 beautiful and complimentary POS displays.
Offers 50% or greater Margins with base Keystone MSRP.
Gives you more earning Options with Tiered Buying & Marketing Incentives.

Imagine a product that:

You can offer in your on-reservation smoke shops and dispensaries.
Has private label product opportunities for your California Tribe.
You can manufacture with our turn-key solution if your Sovereign nation is located in another state, including:
- An established and consumer/patient trusted brand.
- Production staffing solutions.
- Full intellectual property license.
- Brand managers marketing and order taking solutions.
- Full training and 24-hour support.
- All equipment necessary to bring the products to market
- Recipes and methods for the perfect roll, every time.
- All non-cannabis components, including:
  - Patent pending certified child resistant pack.
  - Tipping paper.
  - Signature “crutch-style” filters.
  - Hemp flax fiber rolling papers.

Presenter:

Lisa Fleck
CMO & Partner
20/20 Management Corporation, LLC
Chief Marketing Consultant
Hello Mello Brand

11:15-12:00 PM

Investor Roundtable: Investing & Attracting Investors to the Cannabis Market

This moderator-led roundtable will feature diverse investors & executives in the cannabis industry who have successfully gained capital. Professionals will help our audience Tribal gage what type of an appetite they should or expect from being an investor in the market or looking for investors.
With the interest in the cannabis industry breaking all-time record highs each month what advice would investors have for the average investor who wants in? The answer: Follow the Money. Where are the industries top investors placing their money looking for growth and where is this market heading?
Legal cannabis sales grew 74% in 2014 from 2013 attracting yield –starved investors. It is estimated that cannabis has a ten billion dollar per year economic impact that will only multiply over the next decade. And this is with just 35 states having some form of medical cannabis law and only four states having full legalization of recreational sales which will continue to expand.
How do you go about doing your due diligence, and what is the legal outlook for both investors and bankers in the cannabis industry?
What tools are available to track performance and quality of products and the companies producing them? How transparent is a market that does not have a banking system? While several large corporations are starting to appear on various exchanges, many have already been removed for several reasons. Is there a preferred trading platform & if so what is it? Who is or will be our Bloomberg or Thomson Reuters of the cannabis world?
It is estimated that by the year 2020, cannabis will be a $35 billion dollar industry. With 8 stats passing recreational cannabis use to date and 29 with legal medical cannabis, investment dollars had increased by close to 100% from last year & experts continue to see the interest rise.

Moderator:

J. Michael Prince
Founder
Prince Capital

Presenters:

Leslie Bocskor
Founder & President
Electrum Partners

Troy Dayton
President/Co-Founder
The Arcview Group

12:00-1:00 PM

Lunch in Oak Ballrooms A and B

Hello Mello Vector Large

1:00-1:45 PM

Product Demonstration

Introduction to Cannabis Processing Techniques

An overview of the process.
Introduction to the vacuum oven.
Introduction to the Rotary evaporator.
Introduction to the Short Path Distillation Apparatus.
An overview of general Laboratory equipment available and your laboratory needs.

Presenter:

Burt Linnetz
President
Blaze Lab Solutions

1:45-2:30 PM

Retail

Many people would not know what to expect when walking into a retail cannabis store. Would it surprise you that many have a similar look and feel as your local Apple store? This panel will feature Tribal retail enterprise executives and some of the nation’s leading retail experts in the cannabis industry. This moderator lead open forum will have plenty of time for Q&A from the audience. Topics such as the latest trends, technology, store design, branding, marketing techniques, social media, security and labor issues as well as how to come up with the right product mix for your market will all be discussed. Over the next few years, we will see hundreds of new retail stores throughout the country. What kind of out of the box thinking are creative teams using to make sure theirs stand apart from the rest? You will leave this session with a much better idea of what direction you may want your tribal retail operation heading in.

Presenters:

Aaron Nelson
Director of Actualization
Retail by Champion

Ramsey Hamide
Owner
Main Street Marijuana

2:30-3:15 PM

Cultivation

So you want to grow cannabis? This panel will feature some of the most successful growers in the U.S. 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 cannabis? What are the benefits of growing in greenhouses vs. not? Once you have grown it what do you do with it? This panel of experts will touch on all you need to know when it comes to branding your product, distribution, security, labor, regulations, packaging, etc.
Understand energy consumption, conservation and the impact your operation can have on your reservation. In California alone, cannabis cultivation is already responsible for at least 3% of the states total energy consumption without considering the water implications. What resources and what quantity of resources does it take to have a grow operation?
Due to the current drought, the state of California is now requiring cannabis growers to obtain a state irrigation water permit. How will that impact your operation?
How can you reduce the amount of energy needed to grow cannabis or hemp using advanced technology that seems to be changing every day?