National Cannabis Industry Association

Name

National Cannabis Industry Association

Legal name

National Cannabis Industry Association

Website

https://thecannabisindustry.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Three-tiered annual membership program (Seedling, Blooming, Evergreen) with quarterly and monthly payment options. Revenue is recurring and predictable, supporting national advocacy operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association that provides federal advocacy, policy representation, and industry resources to cannabis and hemp businesses across the United States. Its core offering is a tiered annual membership program (Seedling, Blooming, Evergreen) bundled with access to annual advocacy events, industry reports, webinars, podcasts, committees, and direct engagement with federal policymakers on issues such as SAFE Banking, 280E tax reform, and cannabis rescheduling.

Product overview

The National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) is a trade association, not a product company. It does not offer a software platform or commercial product in the traditional sense. NCIA's 'offerings' are membership-based association services comprising three paid tiers (Seedling, Blooming, and Evergreen) that grant access to advocacy representation, educational programming, industry reports, events (Lobby Days, Stakeholder Summits, webinars), podcasts (Voice of Cannabis, Enter The Group Chat), a member directory, market intelligence via BDSA GreenEdge, and participation in 13 specialized committees. These services are bundled membership benefits, not discrete commercial products with standalone pricing. The organization also publishes a State-by-State Policy Map and offers a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Program alongside an Allied Associations Program for partner organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NCIA Membership Program Annual membership program giving cannabis and hemp businesses access to NCIA's federal advocacy, policy briefings, networking, industry reports, webinars, podcasts, committees, and direct engagement with lawmakers. Tiers range from Seedling ($1,000/year) for startups to Evergreen ($15,000/year) for policy leaders.
• Annual Cannabis Industry Lobby Days Flagship in-person advocacy event bringing cannabis industry operators, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders to Capitol Hill for direct meetings with lawmakers and staff on federal cannabis policy priorities.
• Industry Reports & White Papers

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pro Cannabis MediacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for producing the Voice of Cannabis Podcast, NCIA's official podcast covering federal cannabis reform, rescheduling developments, and industry policy discussions with cannabis leaders, regulators, and experts.
• VertosaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting sponsor of NCIA's 14th Annual Cannabis Industry Lobby Days event. Vertosa creates industry-leading active ingredients for infused products and partnered with NCIA for the event press release.
• MoreBetterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContract research organization conducting the Real-World Infused Beverage Study referenced by NCIA members. The study spans over 5,000 participants and 20 brands researching THC and CBD-infused beverage effects, with NCIA members participating in industry research initiatives.
• CANNRA (Cannabis Regulators Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCANNRA Executive Director Gillian Schauer appeared on NCIA's Voice of Cannabis Podcast to discuss the evolving role of regulators in shaping cannabis policy, bridging industry-regulator dialogue.
• BDS GreenedgecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMarket intelligence and data partnership providing BDSA Market Intelligence access to NCIA members as a member benefit. Provides cannabis market data and analytics to support member business decisions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• U.S. Cannabis Council: National cannabis industry coalition formed in 2021 representing operators, ancillary businesses, and policy advocates. Direct competitor to NCIA for national advocacy voice and federal reform lobbying.
• Cannabis Trade Federation: Trade association representing cannabis operators and ancillary businesses at the federal level. Competes with NCIA for the same membership base and federal advocacy positioning.

Emerging players

• National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML): Long-running advocacy organization focused on cannabis policy reform. Operates in adjacent advocacy space with overlapping policy agenda (rescheduling, decriminalization) but a more consumer/grassroots rather than operator trade focus.
• Marijuana Policy Project (MPP): National policy organization dedicated to marijuana law reform. Aaron Smith served as California state policy director prior to founding NCIA, making MPP both a peer and an organizational predecessor.
• Americans for Safe Access: Medical cannabis advocacy organization where COO Brooke Gilbert previously coordinated national events. Comparable advocacy mission with a medical-cannabis-specific focus.

Regional players

• National Hemp Association: Trade association serving the hemp industry segment that overlaps with NCIA's hemp membership committee. Comparable trade association model but focused on industrial hemp rather than cannabis operators.

Others

• Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA): Nonprofit association of state and local cannabis regulatory agencies. NCIA has partnered with CANNRA on the Voice of Cannabis Podcast, making it an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Beer Institute: Established national trade association for the beer industry. Provides a comparable industry association model with federal advocacy, statistical tracking, and member services at scale — useful as an institutional benchmark for NCIA's potential maturity path.
• Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS): National trade association representing distilled spirits producers. Comparable established trade association structure with sophisticated federal lobbying apparatus — relevant peer for NCIA's advocacy and member services architecture.
• Wine Institute: Trade association representing California wineries with federal and state policy advocacy programs. Comparable association model for an industry navigating layered state/federal regulatory complexity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nciaorg
• YouTubelinkedin.com/company/national-cannabis-industry-association
• Facebookfacebook.com/terpxco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-cannabis-industry-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/nationalcannabisindustry

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Cannabis Industry Association