[PRESS RELEASE] – MADISON, Wis., Sept. 4, 2026 – The Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association (ICIA) was awarded the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA) Community Partnership Award. The prestigious award recognizes advocacy organizations that bridge the gap between policy and community leadership.
Founded in 2015, the MCBA is the largest national trade association dedicated to the needs of minority cannabis entrepreneurs and their communities. A 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization, the MCBA is committed to creating equitable access and opportunity in the cannabis industry. ICIA recently attended MCBA’s annual Green Equity Summit in Minnesota, where it was awarded the Community Partnership Award.
“This recognition highlights the community-centered ethos behind ICIA. We built the organization by following through, one relationship at a time, and continuously working to keep tribal governments and indigenous entrepreneurs in the rooms where policy is written,” ICIA founder Rob Pero said. “A big thank you to all the members who make our presence at events like this possible.”
ICIA was founded in 2022 as a national advocacy organization with the mission to increase accessibility to plant medicine and empower sustainable economic opportunities for indigenous people in cannabis through policy, programming and outreach initiatives.
ICIA will host its fifth annual Indigenous Cannabis & Hemp Policy Summit Nov. 9-11 in Washington, D.C. The milestone event is just one example of how ICIA brings together tribal members, leaders, entrepreneurs and policymakers to connect, collaborate and shape the future of cannabis.
To follow along with the award-winning organization, visit https://www.indigenouscannabis.org/
