Venue: Lake of the Torches Resort & Casino | Lac du Flambeau, WI

07:30 AM - 08:30 AM

Registration & Networking Breakfast

 

 

08:30 AM - 09:00 AM

Opening Ceremony: A Call to Act

Welcome to Indian Country! The gathering will begin in a good way with an opening prayer and blessing, followed by a welcome from President Johnson of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. ICIA will then offer opening remarks to help frame the discussion, with Rob Pero, Founder and CEO of ICIA, and Mary Jane Oatman, Executive Director of ICIA, sharing perspective on the moment we’re in. The conversation will then move into setting the broader context, including the federal shift to reschedule medical cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, why this moment calls for action in Wisconsin, and why tribal and rural communities cannot afford to wait any longer.

 

09:00 AM - 09:50 AM

Session I: Wisconsin at a Turning Point

Panel Objective: Examine how federal rescheduling creates immediate opportunity—and responsibility—for Wisconsin to legalize medical cannabis with guardrails that protect patients, communities, and tribal sovereignty. Panelists will dig into what Schedule III means for patients, providers, and tribal nations, examine the role of medical cannabis as an alternative to opioids, and discuss the disproportionate impacts current policies continue to have on Indigenous, rural, and veteran communities.

 

09:55 AM - 10:45 AM

Session II: Policy, Sovereignty & the Post-Federal Reset

Hemp Regulation, Federal Rescheduling and Tribal Authority. Panel Objective: Clarify how federal rescheduling, Farm Bill changes, and Wisconsin hemp legislation intersect—and what this means for wellness access, enforcement, and tribal sovereignty. The discussion will also take a closer look at the balance between meaningful guardrails and policies that risk becoming prohibition by another name. Panelists will address how tribal authority fits into an environment of unclear enforcement, and what it takes to protect farmers, manufacturers, and consumers as medical cannabis policy continues to evolve.

10:50 AM - 11:40 AM

Session III: What Could Wisconsin Become?

Market Projections & Regional Lessons. Panel Objective: Project realistic future scenarios for Wisconsin’s cannabis and hemp industries using lessons from surrounding states. The conversation will also compare medical-only approaches with expanded access models, looking closely at the economic impacts, workforce needs, and potential tax outcomes tied to each path. Panelists will discuss the real risks of continued inaction, reflect on lessons from Michigan’s tribal–state dynamics and Minnesota’s more cautious rollout, and weigh the difference between missed opportunities and pursuing intentional, sustainable growth.

11:45 AM - 12:45 PM

Lunch & Keynote

Dr. Joseph Rosado

Dr. Joseph Rosado’s keynote, “Opioids, Addiction & Cannabis as a Public Health Tool,” will examine the ongoing opioid crisis through a data-driven public health lens, highlighting overdose trends and the populations most heavily impacted. His focus will include the disproportionate effects of opioid addiction in Indian Country, rural communities, and among veterans and seniors, emphasizing how gaps in access to care continue to deepen these disparities. Dr. Rosado will also compare outcomes across states, contrasting Wisconsin’s restrictive approach with data from Michigan and Minnesota, and examining differences between tribal communities with access to medical cannabis and those without. Central to his address is the role of cannabis as a harm-reduction tool—not a replacement for treatment, but a complementary option that can reduce opioid dependence, improve patient outcomes, and support more holistic, community-centered approaches to care. Lunch at 11:45 am, Keynote at 12:00 pm.

12:50 PM - 01:40 PM

Session IV: Industrial Hemp & Wellness Economies

From Crop to Community Health. Panel Objective: Connect hemp agriculture, processing, and wellness products to long-term economic and health outcomes.

01:45 PM - 02:35 PM

Session V: Capital, Infrastructure & Market Readiness

Who’s Lending, Building & Investing. Panel Objective: Explore how capital access, banking, and infrastructure determine whether Wisconsin is ready for a regulated industry.

02:40 PM - 03:30 PM

Session VI: From Dirt to Market

Vertical Integration, Partnerships & Brand Building. Panel Objective: Show how cannabis and hemp operations move from cultivation to extraction, manufacturing, branding, and distribution—and how to choose the right partners.

03:35 PM - 04:25 PM

Closing Plenary: From Rescheduling to Responsibility

Pathways Toward Prosperity. The session will bring together ICIA leadership, Tribal leaders, and partners from the Wisconsin Wellness Coalition to reinforce a shared message: federal action alone will not be enough. Speakers will emphasize the need for Wisconsin to move forward with intention, ensuring Tribal leadership is meaningfully included. The conversation will focus on coalition-building as a critical step, helping lay the groundwork for coordinated advocacy, policy development, and community-centered solutions looking toward 2026–2030.

05:30 PM - 07:30 PM

Community Networking Reception

More details soon!