today only for only 7 you can get 2 winning options trade alerts every month click here to see trade ideas riskfree with a 14 day refund guarantee indigenous cannabis ventures have grown in incremental prominence since the squaxin island tribe opened the first tribal retail location in the us elevation cristala mussatoallen caddo nation and executive director at business development and community education venture native workplace inc told benzinga that between 20 or 30 tribes or roughly 5 of the 576 federally recognized by the us government have legalized operations in some form in 2020 emerald media group featured over 100 indigenousowned cannabis businesses compiled by coauthors mary jane oatman melissa hutsell taylor short and katie bryan it is becoming more common as elders and communities embark upon selfhealing journeys and seek alternatives from pharmaceuticals said oatman columbia river plateau oatman is the founder of the indigenous cannabis coalition icannc and the tribal cannabisfocused publication thc magazine mussatoallen said those pursuing outside partners often look for expertise investors or operational support tribes that are opposed tend to cite previous bad deals that harm the community rather than help i have seen partnership deals fail due to back door sales issues skimming poor planning and fraud mussatoallen reported tribes are cautious of partnerships she added citing several incidents including the pinoleville tribe moscatoallen alleged that colorado company united cannabis corp cnabq raised millions and left the pinoleville pomo deal in 2015 more recently some tribes have reported success through their business partnerships shinnecock nation in the southampton new york region is often featured for its indigenousowned ventures in 2019 shinnecock hemp growers launched cofounders rainbow and nasha chavis lead the motherdaughter venture with support from private local investors and hudson hemp shinnecock hemp is owned by individual tribal members and not the tribe itself the investors have not only helped us at shinnecock hemp but they also have given to other land reclamation efforts and have helped the graves protection warriors society of shinnecock regain a sacred site chavis added little beach harvest is the next cannabis venture for the community with a vertically integrated dispensary and wellness center in development the company is a joint endeavor between shinnecock nation and tilt holdings inc tlltf tilt ceo gary santo told benzinga that unlike most deals investing in tribal cannabis is not about gaining a stake in the company under their agreement shinnecock remains the owner of the venture with 75 of the cash flow going to the tribe chenae bullock little beach harvests managing director said that tilt has helped develop the venture through weekly conversations brainstorming collaborations and practically any other form of support requested its not just lip service she said there are results that are coming out of these conversations santo added maintaining the partnership is vital if we hold up our end of the bargain our belief is we will continue along in a prosperous relationship with the shinnecock ideally companies would altruistically form partnerships with tribes to help marginalized communities enter the marketplace such involvement can truly help these business owners and their families get out of povertylike conditions said chavis various business benefits may also entice operators if altruism isnt the motivator icanncs oatman touched on several premium value propositions that most partners do not highlighted by land and water she and others also discussed potential tax relief mussatoallen said the absence of tax could lead to roughly 30 in additional annual income she added that property and building costs could also be much lower on tribal land sometimes at zero cost depending on the deal oatman noted that some tribes also offer incentives to outside developments including additional tax incentives access to tribal cdfis leasing opportunities and revsharing deals while beneficial predatory practices may come with fewer regulations just as some state marketplaces have experienced some external companies want to flood the native communities with their brand because they know it can be sold with no limitations chavis said as such many tribes remain opposed to outsider investment other tribes have made it evident through their tribal laws that the economic opportunities are intended only for the tribal people excluding outside investors or multistate operators from capitalizing on reservations cannabis farming or business development oatman said beyond taxes she advised that cannabis brands would be wise to build with tribal ventures to demonstrate their awareness of consumer values centered on industry inclusivity and equity it is interesting to see the models but there is no doubt that tribal people are reaping the rewards in addition to tribally owned enterprises she said