3 minute read
WOMEN IN CANNABIS
WOMEN LEADING THE WAY IN CANNABIS
by Tatiana Melendez
There’s no doubt that the cannabis industry has been growing by leaps and bounds. Medical marijuana has been legalized in most states, and recreational cannabis legislation was signed in 2019. By the end of the year, even the federal government was making recommendations about scheduling marijuana.
Still waiting for that, may I add. All inall, the rise of the cannabis industryhas been remarkable. Still, anotherfantastic story is embedded in thegreen wave: much of the industry’ssuccess is being driven by women!
For decades, people have typicallyassociated marijuana with men. Mostof our stereotypes about “stoners”focus on young men as well. If wethink about the realities of the blackmarket, we often associate that withmen too. However, that does notmean women were not involved in theblack market or had never touchedcannabis before legalization. More orless, it was considered less sociallyacceptable in some circles, and theseattitudes could have contributed tothe initial invisibility of women in thecannabis movement.
However, today, women are inleadership positions at every level ofthe cannabis industry, from CEOs ofmega-companies to cultivatorstaking cannabis from plant toproduct. Women grow cannabis,make medicines, own their farms,and operate their dispensaries.
Some women are also producing anddirecting documentaries to fight thestigma of cannabis and itsconsumers. But before all of thishappened, women had begunexperimenting with the plant wayway back in the day.
Research proves women’sinvolvement with cannabis advocacyharkens back to a tradition ofcaretaking. Women in manyindigenous communities acted ashealers. Before the advent of modernmedicine, they would use traditionalknowledge of plants to help peoplewith all kinds of ailments. For manycultures, this kind of traditionalknowledge involved cannabis too. Soit may be little wonder that we seemore women taking up cannabis toassist with conditions thatdisproportionately affect them, suchas anxiety and depression.
Fast forward to the 1900s. Ever heard of Mary Rathbun? Known as “Brownie Mary," she was a hospital volunteer in the late 1950s and early 1990s who baked special brownies for patients suffering from HIV/AIDS. She had noted that cannabis seemed to ease the pain for the patients in the San Francisco bay area. One of her famous sayings was:
Sounds like a sweet lady.Now, zoom to the 2000s,and you have HannahDeacon. Hannah is anaward-winning medicalcannabis campaigner.She ran a campaign in2017 and 2018 with thelobby group “End OurPain,” which resulted inher son Alfie Dingleyreceiving the first legalNational Health Service(NHS) prescription formedical cannabis.
His doctors received apermanent schedule onelicense in June of 2018,which enabled them toprescribe medicalcannabis legally for Alfie.
Hannah now continues tocampaign for fair accessto medical cannabistreatments on the NHS.
She is also the ExecutiveDirector of The Medicalcannabis Clinicianssociety and Director ofMaple Tree Consultancy.
More women are speaking out about cannabis now than ever before. The Women in Cannabis Study (WICS) recently conducted a survey measuring diversity and inclusion. Jennifer Whetzel of Lady Jane Branding founded the study. The organization’s mission is to tell the stories of women and individual women’s stories with data.
Also, the study asks hard questions with the hope of understanding women’s work histories and professional trajectories and reveals their roadblocks to success, including their experiences with bullying, harassment, discrimination, and disrespect.
More questions in the survey seek to identify women and non-binary participants as groups and individuals and amplify inclusivity for underserved or overlooked voices in an industry estimated to be worth $10billion.
It focuses on gender expression, race and ethnicity, sexuality, and whether women are nondisabled or have the support and means to thrive in the cannabis industry. Here is the link if you are interested in the results:
www.womenincannabis.study
Another study recently published by Marijuana Business Daily attempts to analyze the economic impact of the marijuana industry on women and minorities.
The findings of the study are an interesting reflection on the U.S. business environment and how scientific innovation trickles down to various subgroups in our society. This leads us to believe the industry is shifting away from a “dark basement bro” vibe and more into a bright, transparent, women-led professional vibe.
Whether it has more to do with traditional knowledge, an innate desire to care for others, or just good business sense, there’s no doubt that women have made their mark in the cannabis industry. What is more, is that there is little doubt they will continue to do so.
Already, women-led brands are helping to create products that cater to women’s concerns and needs, as well as businesses that address the needs of a growing, newly legal industry. As the cannabis industry grows, it will undoubtedly continue to be led by innovative and insightful women.
