Women in Weed: How Female-Led Cannabis Businesses Are Paving the Way

In the era before widespread legalization, most of the people running legal cannabis businesses were male. Most dispensary owners I encountered in the early years were men, and over 90 percent of the clientele that shopped at dispensaries were male. A lot has changed over the years, and I attribute that to a few different factors.

Before legalization occurred here in Colorado, the black market was comprised of almost all men. It makes sense: Males are more inclined to risk-taking. Post-legalization, many of the men who had been operating illegally transitioned into the regulated market and as a result, men initially dominated in the cannabis industry.

I remember the challenges during my first few years trying to convince these men they should carry cannabis-infused lotions and massage oils at their dispensary. However, over time the industry has evolved and women have carved out a prominent place for themselves. We now see a lot more products entering the market that are specifically designed for health and well-being, and not just for the purpose of getting high. And I largely attribute this to women’s influence on the industry.

Women hold a great deal of purchasing power and are typically the person in the household who buys the self-care products. As it has become clear that cannabis has a very wide range of health applications well beyond the psychoactive effects, medicinal and wellness products have become increasingly popular. I foresee this market sector eventually dominating because the number of people that would use a self-care product is much larger than the number of people who are looking just to get high.

Women have played a key role in creating and marketing these product lines. This has created more awareness of the innumerable medicinal properties of cannabis and has greatly expanded the health and wellness sector of this market.

In my opinion, because the cannabis industry is still getting established, there is more space here for women to claim. We have been getting in on the ground floor and helping to build the industry. We have been securing CEO and other C-level leadership roles, since they are not already all taken by men from the old boys’ club. Women in cannabis comprise a higher percentage of CEO positions than in more established industries.

Case in point: Women hold 27 percent of executive roles in cannabis, according to an August 2017 Marijuana Business Daily report. In contrast, a 2018 Pew Research survey found women represent 10 percent of corporate leadership within Standard & Poor’s Composite 1500 stock index companies.

This is positive, to be sure, but we can do even better.

People sometimes ask me what extra challenges I’ve faced as a woman in the cannabis industry. My background is in film and television, and for several years in my 20s I worked in that industry in New York City. Navigating that world as a young woman trying to make it in the entertainment industry proved extremely challenging. The power positions were male dominated and the casting-couch mentality was quite prevalent. So I am no stranger to gender inequalities and sexual harassment in the workplace.

As the founder of Mary Jane’s Medicinals, I have been able to create an environment for my business that is inclusive and egalitarian. Happily, I’m not alone here—since this industry is still fairly young, women have been able to influence the culture as it is being created. So the good news is I have experienced less sexism, harassment and patronizing behavior in this industry compared with my past in entertainment.

Back in 2014, I got involved with an organization called Women Grow. This business-focused organization was designed to help women in the cannabis space network and connect. I think it’s really powerful when we can share our stories and gain insight from the experience of others. I made some of my closest friends in the industry at early Women Grow retreats.

Women Grow also organized a memorable trip to Washington, D.C. in 2015. We met with nearly 100 politicians and regulatory officials to talk about cannabis business issues, including taxes and banking. We wanted to replace outdated views about marijuana with a new understanding of the economic benefits of a regulated industry. Connecting with this group of driven women and furthering our agenda with a unified voice was an eye-opening and empowering experience for me.

I feel that women naturally tend to create inclusive and team-driven environments instead of a dog-eat-dog culture. And this is what I have tried to do with Mary Jane’s. Even with many of my competitors, I have felt a “we’re all in this together” vibe. So I think the culture of the cannabis space is developing in a positive way and hopefully will continue to do so.

Being a part of this industry from the early years and helping to build it from the ground up has been incredibly rewarding. I look forward to seeing how it will continue to evolve and impact life and our beautiful planet in a positive way.