Over the years, women have struggled with finding their rightful position in the workplace. Many of them are highly qualified for the job, but none have been promoted due to social stigma. That is not the case within the cannabis community; women thrive in this industry and have led the community to greater heights. These women have allowed the community to flourish and have led innovations that elevated the industry to a whole new level. Get to know these highly influential women in the cannabis industry.
Women of Influence in the Marijuana Industry
1. Mara Gordon
Mara Gordon is no stranger to cannabis. She has spent countless hours of research on the therapeutic value of cannabis. She is also the leader of her company Aunt Zelda’s, which aims to provide a more patient-centric cannabis experience. What truly makes her iconic is her approach to a holistic yet very comprehensive approach to cannabis. She can balance the science from all the hype that is surrounding medical cannabis.
Over the years, she has also provided numerous studies with regards to different dosing regimens, terpene profiles, and the many cannabinoids found in the plant. Her company prides itself as a company that provides full-spectrum extracts that are organically prepared. In 2011, she standardized the way patients took therapeutic cannabis oil and made them commercially available across the country to serve as many patients as possible.
She is also a cannabis advocate and provides scientific and medical advice on how the cannabis industry can be elevated. She can be seen through her TEDx Talk segment. She also launched Calla Spring Wellness to receive patients as well as Zelda Therapeutics for further research onto the cannabis plant.
2. Dr. Chandra Macias
She is a legendary icon in the world of cannabis. She is the first black female entrepreneur to own a company that spans across many different states across the US and Canada. She is a famous and highly-regarding research scientist in the world of biomedicine. She is also the CEO of National Holistic, which is a cannabis company that aims to help patients to receive the best cannabis strain for their condition. She has paved the way for many cannabis business and research studies to empower and employ many women all across the country. In 2015, she founded Ilera Holistic Healthcare in Louisiana and partnered with the local Southern University to produce the first-ever national CBD brand.
3. Valerie Leveroni Corral
Valerie Corral suffered a traumatizing injury during her early years, which resulted in migraines and epilepsy. While taking medications, she continued to suffer through the seizures until her husband recommended that she take weed instead. Her condition was alleviated. In 1992, she was arrested for cultivating marijuana plants, but the case was later dropped since she appealed that the plant made her feel better. This led to the revolutionary proclamation of Proposition 215, which allowed medical marijuana to be used after getting a prescription from a doctor.
With this action alone, Valerie cemented herself as one of the most iconic women in the cannabis industry. She later on setup Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana, which is a program to provide medical cannabis for those who cannot afford it.
4. Mary Jane Rathbun
Also known as Brownie Mary, Mary Jane Rathbun was a cannabis activity which is known for baking and distributing brownies to patients with AIDS. She also took part in the legalization process of medical cannabis in San Francisco and later on, the rest of California. She also had contributions to the San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club, which was the first-ever cannabis dispensary in the US.
Brownie Mary’s subsequent arrest only brought more attention to the public regarding the study of medical marijuana. This ultimately led to bringing clinical trials to effectively research the benefits of medical marijuana and its effects on HIV/AIDS patients. Later on, the city of San Francisco finally gave her permission to distribute cannabis brownies to AIDS patients across the city. Her campaign and widely publicized arrests not only provided medical cannabis the attention it needed, but it also provided support to people living with AIDS at the time.
5. Martha Stewart
No one would have ever known that a beloved culinary and lifestyle guru would be the face of cannabis in the United States and many other countries all over the world. Throughout her career, Martha Stewart was always known for her cooking and lifestyle shows. What people did not know was she was an avid fan of cannabis. It wasn’t until late in her career that she decided to be the embodiment of CBD and cannabis by signing on as an adviser for Canopy Growth, which is the largest marijuana producing company in the world.
This partnership showed the world that there are many people, even those who seemed to not have any connection with cannabis, can become an avid supporter of the miracle plant. Martha Stewart was already a household name before her declaration for her of cannabis, but with the partnership with the company as well as her friendship with all-time popular cannabis die-hard Snopp Dogg, it was very clear that this woman was a powerhouse influencer within the cannabis industry.
6. Dr. Raquel Peyraube
Dr. Raquel Peyraube used to be on the other side of the fence concerning cannabis. She had a very conservative view on cannabis. However, that all changed when she decided to take a good look at cannabis and how it is connected with problematic and abusive drug use. She is highly regarded as an expert in the field of toxicology, psychotherapy, and psychiatry.
She is one of the many frontrunners in the field of cannabis research, as studies continue to grow to fully understand the medical properties of cannabis. She is currently working together with the International Association of Cannabinoid Medicines as a member to provide more information through proper education with cannabis.
Conclusion
The cannabis industry would not be as fruitful and thriving as it is today if not for the great women that have fought for its advocacy in the past. Countless other women have paved the way for the proper usage of medical and recreational marijuana to be legal in many different parts of the world. As more and more countries begin to open up to accepting cannabis, these women have influenced the world through their efforts.