First-Ever Map of Tribal Cannabis and Hemp Programs Released by Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association and Vicente LLP

Image | adobe.stock/Андрей Трубицын

In a recent press release, the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association (ICIA) released the first-ever map of Tribal cannabis and hemp programs. This work was created through collaboration with Vicente LLP, a cannabis law firm.

In 2010, the first regulated Indigenous cannabis storefront was opened in the state of Washington. As mentioned in the press release, dozens of sovereign Indigenous communities have formed regulatory systems to manage cannabis sales, cultivation, and production. In regard to hemp, 52 Tribal communities have hemp cultivation programs that are federally approved. At this time, there are 574 federally recognized Indigenous communities nationwide. In the US, there are 358 Indigenous communities, an estimated 26% of those communities have programs involving cannabis or hemp.

The press release mentioned that the map, “shows the locations of Indigenous cannabis programs in blue and hemp programs in red. In many cases, the clusters of programs on the map denote tribal and Indigenous-led enterprises that are already working together to create successful supply chains and distribution networks.”

Image Courtesy of Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association (ICIA) and Vicente LLP

“Indigenous cannabis programs are a vital piece of America’s cannabis movement,” said Andrew Livingston, Director of Economics and Market Analysis at Vicente LLP, in the press release. “And these businesses deserve recognition. The goal of our study is to provide information on how different Indigenous communities have established their regulated cannabis programs, the size of the economic opportunity, and the ways that regulating cannabis can be structured in the future to further the goals of each community.”

“This research project will highlight the thoughtful work that has gone into these sovereign regulatory programs as well as how these businesses affect local employment and revenue for community services,” said ICIA founder Rob Pero, in the press release. “Together, we hope to inform, inspire and empower other Indigenous communities considering cannabis as well as policy makers around the world.”

Reference

1. Vicente + Icia Indigenous Cannabis and hemp map https://www.indigenouscannabis.org/cannabis-map (accessed May 15, 2025).