Registration & Continental Breakfast in Oak Ballrooms A and B 

Justin O’Connor
President
Native Nation Events, LLC  

General Session in Oak Ballroom C

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:

General Sessions in Oak Ballroom C

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:

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

Lunch in Oak Ballrooms A and B

• 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

Afternoon Break in Oak Ballrooms A and B

Day 1 Concludes

Registration & Continental Breakfast in Oak Ballrooms A and B 

Conference Co-Chair Day 1 Highlights

Cheryl Shuman
CEO/Founder
Cheryl Shuman, Inc.

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

Product Demonstration

Lunch in Oak Ballrooms A and B 

Product Demonstration

Burt Linnetz
President
Blaze Lab Solutions

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

Tuesday’s Sessions Conclude