Archive · 2023-03-14

Gen Z women are the fastest-growing consumers of legal cannabis. In addition to Americans, Gen Z women and otherwise, consuming more cannabis, people are also buying more weed from women.  Encouraged by an increasingly versatile legal landscape of female cannabis business owners and more women and weed-focused brands, you don’t have to look long to find the reasons behind this exciting trend.  Across all industry sectors, including activism, policy, technology, marketing and cultivation, the women of cannabis are influencing the course of cannabis history.  In honor of Women’s History Month, we put together this list to celebrate 17 trail-blazing ladies in cannabis.

1. Liz Grow, Grow House Media and Taste of Texas Hemp Cup 

Hailing from the Lone Star state but making an impact nationwide, Liz Grow is the CEO and co-founder of Grow House Media, a media agency in the cannabis and hemp space. Be sure to catch Liz on her podcast Feminized, where she talks to other women of cannabis about the culture and future of the plant. 

2. Kari Boiter, WONPR (Women Ending Prohibition) President 

An award-winning community organizer, communications strategist and policy analyst, Kari Boiter is a powerhouse in social justice. As the president of WONPR, Kari works to reverse the harm cannabis prohibition has had on women and their communities across the United States.

3. Colleen King, Ciclo 

As VP of Growth at Ciclo, Colleen’s team uses supply chain technology to facilitate the grower-buyer relationship. Software like this facilitates accessibility and makes it easier to buy weed from women.

4. Sabrina Clebnick, Clebby’s 

What would you do if you realized that nowhere in town sold those pot brownies you were craving? Most of us would cut our losses and try to move on. Not Sabrina Clebnick from Massachusetts. She set about creating a unique range of cannabis-infused vegetable oil baking mixes to make it easy to whip up a batch (or three!) of your favorite edibles at home. 

5. Naomi Granger, NACAT 

Disillusioned in her role at PricewaterhouseCoopers, accountant Naomi Granger jumped into the deep end when she quit in 2015. By 2017 she had pivoted into cannabis accounting and became a pioneer when she founded the National Association of Cannabis Accounting and Tax Professionals.

6. Amanda Nash, The Bud Card

Amanda Nash’s love for small business and deep passion for supporting entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry led her to create The Bud Card. The company partners with small businesses and supporting organizations with the same goal: to create community through small business and thrive.

7. Dr. Lola Ohonba, WCI Health 

When Dr. Lola founded WCI Health, an alternative health and wellness company, she continued to add to her accomplishments as a public speaker, clinical pharmacist, professor of cannabis science and best-selling author.

8. Melanie Coddington, Sungrown Studio 

Before she became a female cannabis business owner, Melanie had spent years  running a seven-figure interior design business. Then, curious about a new challenge in the cannabis industry, she expanded into designing luxury dispensaries across the U.S.

9. Caitlein Ryan, The Cannabis Alliance

Caitlein Ryan founded Sound Cultivation, a cannabis political consulting solution in Washington state. She is also the first president of the Central Washington Growers Association, which focuses on community engagement and local government in Central Washington.

10. Taiya Thompson, Crooked Cactus CBD

Taiya Thompson founded Crooked Cactus CBD after struggling to find a natural approach for treating her son’s multiple special needs and improving his quality of life upon trying CBD. 

11. Tamar Maritz, BDS Analytics

Before becoming an inspiring woman of weed, Tamar Maritz consulted for some of the world's biggest Fortune 500 tech companies. She currently sits as VP of Business Development at BDS Analytics, the leading market research, analytics and insights firm in the cannabis industry. 

12. Tarra Quinn, High Hopes Productions

Tarra Quinn started High Hopes Productions in 2022  to teach families how to medicate their children with cannabis. As a result, High Hopes has become a safe space for sharing education and cannabis knowledge with families. 

13. Emma Collard, US Army Veteran and Cannabis & Psychedelics Communications Guru

An innovative and unique marketing consultant, Collard’s company helps cannabis and psychedelic brands reach their target audiences through compelling storytelling, influencer management, digital media strategy and community outreach.

14. Melany Dobson, CEO of Hudson Cannabis

Melany Dobson is a leader in the cannabis startup ecosystem. As CEO of Hudson Cannabis, Melany leads product strategy and creative direction for Hudson Hemp and its portfolio of brands, including Treaty. Hudson Cannabis practices regenerative farming to provide New Yorkers with safe and effective products across various administration methods.

15. Kassia Graham, Director of Community at Cannaclusive and Cannabis for Black Lives

Cannaclusive was created to facilitate fair representation of minority cannabis consumers and make it easier for brands to communicate with diverse audiences. Kassia’s work ensures that minority consumers are not an afterthought, but a valued ally in the fight for legalization and destigmatization.

16. Amber D. Lengacher, Regulatory Counsel at Trulieve

Passionate about environmental issues and social governance, Amber Lengacher blessed the cannabis industry with her presence in 2017, after she graduated from law school. 

17. Emily Fisher - CEO Leafwell

Emily is the Founder and CEO of Leafwell, a technology company whose mission is to increase access, education and research into cannabis. Through Leafwell, patients can get certified for medical cannabis online in minutes and obtain unbiased, evidence-based information on how cannabis can help them or a loved one.