American Cannabis Nurses Association (ACNA)

What American Cannabis Nurses Association (ACNA) does

The American Cannabis Nurses Association (ACNA) is a U.S.-based non-profit professional membership association founded in 2006 to advance cannabis nursing through education, advocacy, and community-building. ACNA serves licensed registered nurses, nursing students, retired nurses, and industry supporters via tiered annual memberships priced at $55 (Student/Retired), $105 (Supporter), and $130 (Regular), processed through its website (cannabisnurses.org) without auto-renewal. Its core products include online education programs with interactive modules, a quarterly Reference Guide containing evidence-based practices and regulatory updates, a member portal with exclusive discounts on medical devices and journal databases, regional and online events, and partner conference participation.

The organization's defining strategic asset is its co-publication of the 'Cannabis Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice' with the American Nurses Association (ANA), which in 2023 officially recognized cannabis nursing as a specialty nursing practice. ACNA operates without disclosed paid headcount under an elected volunteer Board of Directors (current President Nicole Foss, 2024–2026; President-Elect Deanna Sommer, 2026–2028) and has formalized a sponsorship program with cannabis-industry partners including Grow From Home and Hemp Quest. It accepts members from the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and other countries, and distributes content through its website, email newsletters, social media (Instagram/Facebook: ACNANurses), and earned media in healthcare publications.

Name

American Cannabis Nurses Association (ACNA)

Legal name

American Cannabis Nurses Association

Website

https://cannabisnurses.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The American Cannabis Nurses Association (ACNA) is a U.S. non-profit professional association advancing cannabis nursing through tiered annual memberships, online education, a quarterly Reference Guide, regional and virtual events, and advocacy, serving registered nurses, students, retirees, and supporters nationally and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Albany

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: ACNA generates revenue through annual membership dues with tiered pricing based on membership type: Regular, Student, Retired, and Supporter memberships. Payments are processed per membership period with no auto-renewal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ACNA operates a membership-based professional nursing association that advances cannabis nursing through education, advocacy, and community programs. Members gain access to curated online education programs, a quarterly Reference Guide, regional and online networking events, and exclusive discounts on professional resources. The organization also co-publishes the official Cannabis Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice with the American Nurses Association (ANA).

Product overview

ACNA offers a membership-based professional organization with multiple interconnected offerings: a member portal as the central hub providing access to online education programs (interactive modules on clinical applications and patient care), a quarterly Reference Guide with evidence-based practices and regulatory updates, and member discounts on essential resources including medical devices and journal databases. ACNA also co-publishes the Cannabis Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice with the American Nurses Association. The organization facilitates community engagement through regional events for policy and advocacy, online events including webinars and workshops, and partner conferences. Membership tiers include Regular ($130), Student ($55), Retired ($55), and Supporter ($105) categories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Professional Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Official recognition of cannabis nursing as a nursing specialty by ANA (2023)

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Nurses Association (ANA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACNA co-published the official Cannabis Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice with the ANA. This publication establishes the core competencies, ethical principles, and professional expectations for nurses practicing in cannabis nursing. ANA officially recognized cannabis nursing as a specialty nursing practice in 2023.
• NCSBN (National Council of State Boards of Nursing)coreOthersNCSBN provides Cannabis Guidelines referenced by ACNA as an additional resource for cannabis nursing practice and regulation.
• Grow From HomeminorOthersBronze level sponsor of ACNA as listed on the 2025 elections page.
• Hemp QuestminorOthersBronze level sponsor of ACNA as listed on the 2025 elections page.
• Education Sponsor (unnamed)minorOthersEducation sponsor of ACNA as listed on the 2025 elections page.
• Product Sponsor (unnamed)minorOthersProduct sponsor of ACNA as listed on the 2025 elections page.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National League for Nursing (NLN): NLN is a large membership association for nurse educators and academic institutions. It is comparable in membership-model, education-driven mission, and standards-setting role for nursing, though at broader scope than ACNA's clinical specialty.
• American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP): AANP is the largest membership association for nurse practitioners, providing continuing education, certification, and advocacy. Comparable to ACNA in operating a tiered membership model with annual dues, producing practice standards, and delivering CE programming to a nursing profession segment.
• American Academy of Nursing: An invite-only fellowship organization for nursing leaders that publishes policy and standards work, including on emerging practice areas. Comparable in its standards-setting authority and policy advocacy orientation; though composed of fellows rather than open-membership.
• Sigma (Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing): Sigma is the global nursing honor society operating a membership model with chapters, publications, and continuing education. Comparable to ACNA in member-driven structure and nursing-focused content/community positioning, though at much larger scale.
• American Nurses Association (ANA): ANA is the umbrella professional membership association for all US nurses and ACNA's core publishing partner. It directly oversees scope and standards for nursing specialties, including cannabis nursing (2023), making it the closest institutional analog and authority under which ACNA operates.

Direct peers

• Society of Cannabis Clinicians: A physician-focused clinical society for cannabis medicine that develops clinical guidance and continuing education for practitioners. Direct peer to ACNA in mission (advancing cannabis clinical practice) and member base (licensed healthcare professionals in cannabis), differing only in profession (physicians vs. nurses).
• American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA): AHNA is a membership-based specialty nursing association that similarly developed scope and standards of practice for an emerging nursing niche (holistic nursing) recognized by ANA. It mirrors ACNA's model of tiered individual membership, educational content, and specialty credentialing.

Emerging players

• National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA): NCIA is a trade association for cannabis businesses including cultivators, retailers, and ancillary service providers. Comparable to ACNA in serving as an association hub for a cannabis vertical with member-driven advocacy and educational programming, but B2B/business-focused rather than nursing-focused.
• Patients Out of Time: A nonprofit focused on therapeutic cannabis education for healthcare professionals and patients, closely adjacent to ACNA's educational mission. Comparable in nonprofit advocacy/education posture and clinical cannabis content focus, though smaller and more provider-targeted in scope.
• NORML: NORML is a long-standing cannabis policy and advocacy organization. It is comparable in mission emphasis on cannabis advocacy and education, though it is membership-driven around policy/legal reform rather than nursing practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ACNANurses
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-cannabis-nurses-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American Cannabis Nurses Association (ACNA)