As the White House considers rescheduling or descheduling cannabis at the federal level, one group wants to ensure Indigenous people are empowered within the marijuana industry. <\/p>\n
The Indigenous Cannabis Coalition<\/u><\/a> (ICC), founded by Mary Jane Oatman, looks to demystify the plant, promote the kinds of sustainable farming in which Native Americans are experts, and build networks among those who are looking to get involved in the green industry.<\/p>\n Oatman, who is a member of the Nez Perce tribe and lives on the tribe’s reservation near Kamiah, Idaho, came to the cause of Indigenous-produced cannabis early in life. Her grandmother Alice Wharton was a cannabis cultivator who served time in federal prison after the government busted her grow, as Oatman shared<\/u><\/a> in a recent Forbes<\/em> profile.<\/p>\n