Women in Cannabis: 6 of the Most Influential Women in the Cannabis Industry

influential women in cannabis

In a 'male dominant' world, it is important to acknowledge the significant rise in the number of women dominating in different spheres of life, and the cannabis industry is not left out of this emerging rise of women's power. In the cannabis industry, women make up about 63% of elevated positions at testing labs and up to half of the leadership roles at products and processing companies, according to a survey conducted by the Marijuana Business Daily.

It should be noted that the importance of certain female pioneers to the development of the cannabis industry cannot be overemphasized. From research to entrepreneurship to activism even to politics, they set the scene for the enormous growth of all sectors of the industry. These women have continued to concentrate their efforts toward making sure cannabis is accessible to everybody and here is a list of the top five influential women in the cannabis industry.

CHANDA MACIAS

Chanda Macias is the CEO and founder of a company called the National Holistic Healing Center Medical Marijuana Dispensary (NHHC). NHHC is a patient support company committed to providing individuals with enervating medical conditions, and explicit illnesses with alternative medicine. NHHC equips patients with the necessary information, assistance, and the necessary medical marijuana products in line with the regulations of the Department of Health.

She is also the CEO of Women Grow, the largest national network of cannabis experts an organization that connects leaders in all areas of the industry and intends to assist over 1,000 cannabis businesses owned by women. As a Cannabis Connoisseur, Chanda Macias is one of the seven African Americans in the grow and dispensary business in the cannabis space.

MARA GORDON

Mara Gordon is an entrepreneur, cannabis advocate, and researcher who is dedicated to spreading her knowledge about the beneficial properties of marijuana. As a pioneer in the use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes, she has excelled throughout the industry with her company Aunt Zelda's which strives to invent patient-centered cannabis decoctions tailored to explicit needs and conditions. In 2011, Mara created her most popular therapeutic oil blends, making them available to patients worldwide through the Aunt Zelda's brand. She also established Calla Spring Wellness, a telemedicine platform used by medical professionals to guide them on consolidating medical marijuana medicines with their standard treatment procedures.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG

Caryn Elaine Johnson who is popularly known as Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actor, and author. She is one of the few actresses to have won an Academy Award (Oscar), Tony Award and a Grammy award. She has always been an enthusiast of cannabis and is an ardent user. A pacesetter in the cannabis feminist movement, it should be noted that she launched a line of pot-for-PMS products with herbalist Maya Elisabeth called 'Whoopi & Maya'.

As one of the first companies to discover how cannabis can help with menstrual pain, 'Whoopi & Maya' offers a variety of soothing products like ointments, tinctures, and bath soaks. Whoopi & Maya's line of cannabis-infused products utilizes the therapeutic powers of the cannabis plant in providing relief for the several women-related health issues especially relating to the menstrual cycle.

EMILY PAXHIA

If you're a cannabis investor or you are working on starting a cannabis-related enterprise, you've most probably heard of Poseidon Asset Management. Emily Paxhia is the co-founder and managing partner of Poseidon Asset Management, the longest-running cannabis investment fund company. She has reviewed thousands of companies in the cannabis world and has worked with numerous founders in different capacities and has held board seats for a few portfolio companies and served as an adviser to several firms. She has devoted time and energy to supporting policy groups and has served on the Board of Directors of the Marijuana Policy Project. Emily ensures proper administration at the company level and creates meaningful deal structures, thus being active in investment decision-making and processes on investment oversight. She is one of the influential women in the cannabis world.

AMY MARGOLIS

Amy Margolis is the Founder and Program Director for The Initiative, which is the world's first business development company established to help female-founded cannabis enterprises succeed and access funding. Through different programs and counseling, she aims to assist the best female-owned and female-operated cannabis brands into the limelight. She started one of the biggest state cannabis trade groups in America, she's also a lawyer, She counsels businesses and investors on the classification of capital, multi-jurisdictional growth, and all phases of business and corporate development.

She is named on the political 50 Most Important Women in Cannabis by Cannabis Business Executive (CBE). Herb.co lists Amy as one of the 10 most powerful women in the cannabis world and Elle Magazine refers to her as “Pot Power Woman”.

DEBRA BORCHARDT

The founder of the Green Market Report, Debra is no stranger to male-dominated industries as she covered Wall Street and public companies for CNBC, and had her share of breaking news stories and TV coverage time. Deb founded the Green Market Report, a cannabis-based reporting website for publically traded cannabis and CBD companies. Debra's in-depth journalism has won her awards as she has rooted out some of the early problems in pubically traded cannabis companies, alerting shareholders to issues before the government regulators were able to catch up. Debra has lead many female education panels in cannabis and paved the way for others to be able to understand financial reporting around cannabis companies and how to spot irregularities in public companies.

These women have not only been able to make significant contributions to the cannabis industry but have also motivated others so they too can contribute their own quota in any industry they might find themselves.