STORY BY LAUREN E. LeBEL PHOTOS SUBMITTED
Women in
WEED
The Power in Numbers
ABOVE: MEG SANDERS, CO-OWNER OF CANNA PROVISIONS
A
s the cannabis industry expands, women and women driven teams in the industry are also growing rapidly. In Massachusetts, a strong female partnership has formed between two women in the cannabis industry: Meg Sanders, co-owner of Canna Provisions, and Caroline Pineau, CEO and owner of Stem. Although their partnership began through their offering of SMASH hits a line that is only sold at these two locations - their connection goes much deeper. Sanders began her journey in the cannabis industry back in 2009, in Colorado. As she tried to get cultivation and 18
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hit her threshold, Sanders described the industry during this time as “super exciting,” and helpful in obtaining her cannabis license. Until 2017, Sanders was with that given company and consulted all over the nation. With two young kids to care for, Sanders said she sort of “stumbled” into this line of work. “Then, I stumbled into Massachusetts and Canna Provisions was a client [of ours],” she explained. Since joining Canna Provisions, Sanders has made her mark. Similarly, Pineau’s world wasn’t always cannabis. Prior to opening her shop in Haverhill, Pineau and her husband owned a yoga studio.
In 2020, right before the pandemic hit, Pineau opened Stem. She was nine months pregnant at the time, and soon thereafter, COVID-19 sent the country into a lockdown. “It’s been an interesting journey and meant to be,” she said, regardless of the unexpected hurdles along the way. “A lot of us didn’t see a future in this and could still be moms,” said Pineau. “We have incredible potential.” Sanders added that aside from balancing being a mom and working, there are several challenges that she and other women face within the cannabis industry - solely because of their gender. This includes fundraising efforts, dealing with government
