I recently wrote two articles.
One listed famous cannabis influencers.
The other listed celebrities with their own cannabis brands.
Both lists were mostly men.
There were some women included, but very few.
That gave me the idea to create a list of the most influential women in cannabis.
And it turns out, there are a lot of women in the industry. They may not be quite as visible as a lot of the men, but they are out there and they deserve their time in the spotlight. So let’s give it to them.
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Most Influential Women In Cannabis
All of the following amazing women are doing their parts to support and improve the industry surrounding cannabis.
Nancy Whiteman
Nancy Whiteman is the 60-year-old, Ivy-League-educated CEO of Wana, a leading cannabis edibles company. She is often dubbed the Queen of Legal Weed and the Martha Stewart of Cannabis.
Despite federal regulations, high taxes, and stringent laws that made operating in the cannabis industry challenging, Nancy persevered. As a woman, she also faced difficulties raising capital in the male-dominated sector.
However, her ability to build relationships and trust proved advantageous. She has also partnered with Kristi Price, the founder of Black CannaBusiness Magazine, to support black cannabis entrepreneurs and combat racism within the industry.
Emily Skrobecki
In 2019, Forbes recognized Emily Skrobecki as one of the fifteen most powerful and innovative women in cannabis. Skrobecki is truly a trailblazer in the industry. She founded CannSTEM, an initiative dedicated to connecting women in cannabis through science, technology, engineering, and math.
As the manager of process engineering at SลRSE, Emily Skrobecki also conducted extensive research on cannabis water solubility. She firmly believes that no other plant on earth has the same synergistic effects as cannabis and asserts that we are only beginning to understand its vast potential.
Chelsea Handler
Chelsea Handler may primarily be a comedian, but she uses her star power and social media presence to talk about weed. She has also partnered with NorCal Cannabis to launch her cannabis vapes and edibles brand. It is aimed at women who have had a bad experience with the drug or have never tried it.
Her focus is on making cannabis safe and enjoyable for women while maintaining their productivity. Chelsea is also an activist and has been recognized as one of Time Magazine’s top 100 influential people. She mainly advocates for removing racism in politics and the cannabis industry.
Coreen Carroll
Chef Coreen Carroll gained national recognition by winning Netflix’s Cooked With Cannabis. She has also been named one of America’s Top 10 Cannabis Chefs and has received Green State’s Excellence in Experiences and Services Award.
Carroll has co-authored several best-selling cannabis cookbooks and is frequently invited to judge edibles at prestigious cannabis competitions like the Emerald Cup and High Times Cannabis Cup.
Jamie Evans
Author Jamie Evans is revolutionizing the cannabis industry by dispelling misconceptions about it. In 2017, she launched her culinary-meets-cannabis blog and events business, which helped her play a key role in the nationwide culinary cannabis movement.
Evans is also a certified wine specialist and a prominent member of Crop-to-Kitchen, a culinary cannabis advocacy group. This organization has been advocating for the legalization of cannabis cuisine, breaking stigmas, and reshaping perceptions about cannabis.
Lori Ajax
In 2016, Lori Ajax became the chief of California’s first cannabis agency, (the Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC)) dedicated to overseeing the state’s extensive legal marijuana industry.
Her leadership significantly shaped the regulatory landscape of California’s cannabis sector. As the chief, Ms. Ajax led the development of comprehensive cannabis regulations and actively participated in numerous industry events to educate stakeholders and gather feedback.
No wonder Ms. Ajax is considered a divisive figure in cannabis industry circles. She has played a pivotal role in the historic rollout of California’s recreational marijuana market.
Noelle Skodzinski
Noelle Skodzinski is a writer, strategic thinker, and talented editor. Her work supports and informs the cannabis cultivation community. Skodzinski is a Rutgers graduate and has helped co-found the Cannabis Business Times. She has also been actively advocating for cannabis legalization in New Jersey.
Through the Cannabis Business Times magazine, she aims to help cultivators navigate the ever-changing regulations. Her publication aims to educate growers on horticulture, including pest management, highlighting the lack of approved pesticides for marijuana.
Debra Borchardt
Debra Borchardt is an award-winning journalist with over a decade of experience writing about cannabis. She is often invited as a panel member or moderator at cannabis conferences, showcasing her reputation as a thought leader in the industry.
Borchardt is also the editor and CEO of the cannabis financial news site Green Market Report. Additionally, she co-founded the cannabis executive women’s networking group, Industry Power Women, and serves on the board of the cannabis newswire AxisWire. Her extensive work makes her one of the most influential women in the cannabis industry.
Jackie Gonzalez-Becerra
Jackie Gonzalez-Becerra was recently named one of the 20 most influential women in the cannabis industry. She heads the revenue department at Weedmaps, a leading tech company in the cannabis sector.
Becerra is aligned with Weedmaps’ vision and is dedicated to providing safe and legal access to cannabis for consumers worldwide. Her leadership and influence help drive the company’s mission forward, ensuring the cannabis industry evolves responsibly and inclusively.
Larisa Bolivar
Larisa Bolivar has been a cannabis user for 25 years. She saw the plantโs potential to relieve pain and improve quality of life, which inspired her to provide safe access to it to Colorado patients.
With that in mind, she started the organization, Caregivers for Safe Access. This soon evolved into the Colorado Compassion Club– Colorado’s first cannabis dispensary, before 2009.
Ms. Bolivar has also worked in the clean tech and software industries. Both of these experiences helped her gain valuable experience in navigating the highly regulated cannabis industry. Her primary objective is to ensure the cannabis industry operates ethically and focuses on consumer needs.
Jazmin Hupp
Jazmin Hupp helps entrepreneurs create sustainable nomad businesses they can run from anywhere. Fortune Magazine labeled Ms. Hupp a genius entrepreneur, while Forbes named her one of the top businesswomen.
In 2014, Jazmin co-founded Women Grow to support female cannabis leaders. Under her leadership, Women Grow helped connect 75,000 entrepreneurs in 60 cities and gained 6 billion media impressions in three years.
After experiencing burnout and using psychedelics to heal, she now advocates safe cannabis use to help others recover from burnout through her psychedelic coaching program Life After Burnout.
Rachel Burkons
Rachel Burkons is a cannabis influencer who describes herself as a โcannabis creative and bong vivantโ. She advises people about the safe use of cannabis in the food and hospitality industry.
With her massive experience and by using food and drinks, Rachel aims to make cannabis more accepted and educate others about its many benefits.
Ms. Burkons has also started Altered Plates (a culinary cannabis hospitality group) with her brother, Chef Holden Jagger. The duo has worked with many experts in the industry and believes that their hospitality-led systems of service at Altered Plates are sure to revolutionize the cannabis industry.
Influential Females In The Marijuana Industry: Final Thoughts
As mentioned, it was a lack of women in two previous articles I wrote about influencers and celebrities in the marijuana industry that served as the impetus for me to write this article focusing solely on influential women in cannabis.
How many of these women were you familiar with prior to reading this article? Are there any other women you feel deserve a spot on this list that I missed? If so, please let me know in a comment below. I will be happy to add any deserving women to the list in a future update.
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