Bridging the Worlds of: Cannabis, Culture and Women’s Empowerment.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of the cannabis industry, platforms like Cannected TV have emerged to bridge the gap between the worlds of the cannabis business and the cannabis consumers. This bridging offers a unique blend of entertainment, education, and community engagement. In honor of Women’s History Month, we at Knuggzilla want to acknowledge the contributions of women, particularly in this burgeoning field. By acknowledging both their achievements and the challenges they have faced and are still struggling with, let’s go back in time and revisit some women who have already made inroads for others. A modern media platform to promote this and other related issues in the cannabis industry has emerged, called Cannected TV.
Cannected TV: A Comprehensive Platform for Cannabis Enthusiasts
Cannected TV positions itself as a multifaceted platform dedicated to serving the diverse needs of the cannabis community. By offering a variety of content, from educational videos to entertainment segments, it aims to inform and engage viewers. This fosters a deeper understanding of cannabis culture and industry developments.
Key Features of Cannected TV:
- Educational Content: The platform provides viewers with up-to-date information on cannabis laws, health benefits, and responsible consumption practices. This ensurs that consumers are well-informed about their choices.
- Entertainment: Cannected TV recognizes the cultural significance of cannabis by offering content that reflects its influence within music, art, and cultural lifestyle choices, thereby appealing to a broader audience.
- Community Engagement: By highlighting local events, featuring interviews with industry leaders, and showcasing user-generated content, Cannected TV fosters a sense of community among cannabis enthusiasts.
The Role of Women in the Cannabis Industry
Women have been instrumental in shaping the cannabis industry, from advocacy and policy reform to entrepreneurship and leadership. However, this journey has not been without challenges.
Historical Context:
Historically, women have faced significant barriers in various industries. The cannabis sector is no exception. Despite the industry’s rapid growth, women often encounter obstacles related to funding, representation, and recognition. For instance, in 2017, women held approximately 26.9% of executive positions in the cannabis industry, a figure that declined to 17.6% in subsequent years. citeturn0search26
Challenges Faced by Women:
- Funding Disparities: Female entrepreneurs often struggle to secure venture capital, with female-led startups receiving only about 4% of such funding in Australia, alone. citeturn0news32
- Representation: Despite making up a significant portion of the consumer base, women’s representation in leadership roles within the cannabis industry remains disproportionately low.
Notable Historical Contributions:
Despite these challenges, many women have made significant strides in the cannabis industry. Here are 20 important examples of women throughout history who contributed to cannabis culture, in a significant way:
- Hatshepsut: From 1478-1458 BCE, she ruled as one of Egypt’s most successful pharaohs. Her administration was defined as peaceful and prosperous through massive engineering projects, as well as advances in the sciences. Based on primary sources from that period, it is believed that Hatshepsut likely used cannabis-infused products to treat pain stemming from a variety of issues.
- Hildegard von Bingen: A German Benedictine nun who lived during the 12th century medieval period (1090-1179), she was a polymath, seer, physician, scholar, composer, and abbess. However, she was particularly known as a devoted scholar in the field of medicinal botany. Her collective writings known as Physica, details the medicinal uses of plants, including cannabis. She is considered to be among the first medieval botanists to detail the herbal effects of cannabis and how it can successfully treat wounds and various illnesses.
- Queen Victoria of England: The queen of the 19th century’s Victorian Era was a reported consumer of cannabis, as it was recommended by her physician Sir J. Russell Reynolds for menstrual cramps and pain/discomfort associated with childbirth.
Margaret Mead: She is renowned for advancing cannabis legislation in the United States. Her testimony before Congress in 1969 argued against cannabis criminalization and emphasized the importance of understanding its medical uses. She argued for a more sensible and rational approach to cannabis legalization, which is based on a more scientific understanding of the plant itself and a realistic view of its place in society. Her efforts helped to overturn the negative stereotypes associated with cannabis use.
Maya Angelou: An iconic African-American writer and poet, she candidly spoke about her cannabis use for relaxation and creative inspiration in her autobiography, Gather Together In My Name (1974). In her biography she wrote, “…from a natural stiffness, I melted into a smiling tolerance. Walking the streets became a great adventure, eating my mother’s big dinners, magnificent entertainment; and playing with my son in absolute hilarity. For the first time, life amused me…” It has been argued that she humanized the use of cannabis, as well as emphasized its importance in the creative process.
Mary Jane Rathbun, aka “Brownie Mary”: An American cannabis rights activist, lobbyist and hospital volunteer who baked and freely distributed cannabis brownies to AIDS-afflicted victims in the area of San Francisco, California. During the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980’s, Mary was considered an angel to many patients at San Francisco General Hospital. She baked and distributed thousands of THC-laced brownies for such patients. Consequently, she was arrested on three separate occasions. Each arrest brought increasing international attention to the medical cannabis movement. Her “grandmother-like” appearance challenged the typical stereotypes associated with cannabis users. On August 25, 1996, the City of San Francisco eventually granted “Brownie Mary” legal authority to distribute the brownies. This was officially declared Brownie Mary Day. Her work and the work of those like Mary helped facilitate the proposal and passing of first San Francisco Proposition P (1991) and California’s Proposition 215, with 56% of the vote (1996). She is a shining testament to grassroots activism.- Dr. Este Fride: Israeli scientist born in Amsterdam (1953), whose work linked the human endocannabinoid system to the medical benefits of cannabis. The child of Holocaust survivors from Germany and an ardent Zionist, she moved to Israel at 19. After getting her medical degree from the Hebrew School of Jerusalem, she continued her research through Johns Hopkins and the National Institute of Health in the United States. In 1990, she returned to Israel to further her research in the endocannabinoid area at Raphael Mechoulam. Studies researched through the College of Judea and Samaria in Ariel in the Departments of Behavioral Sciences and Molecular Biology proved most promising. She has been published in the European Journal of Pharmacology (2004) and has been behind the publication of over 40 research papers.
Madeline Martinez: A lifelong activist for the legalization of cannabis in the United States, especially Oregon. She has historically been associated with efforts behind the Oregon Ballot Measure 67 (1998), which legalized the cultivation, possession and use of cannabis by doctor recommendation. She is also associated with the Oregon Ballot Measure 91 (2014), which made recreational use of cannabis legal in Oregon. She has tirelessly fought to end national cannabis prohibition in order to “protect the rights of women and families stuck in the gray areas created by legislative changes across the country.” She founded the World Famous Cannabis Cafe (2009) and is the Director of Oregon NORML, the primary affiliate to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Moreover, Martinez co-founded the NORML Women’s Alliance and supports the Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.
Dr. Chanda Macias: A graduate of Rutgers University in Supply Chain Management (MBA) and Howard University in Cellular Biology (PhD), this African-American female empowerment figure is CEO and owner of National Holistic, the CEO for Women Grow and also its Chairwoman of the Board of Managers. She is also involved with Ilera Holistic Healthcare and its partner, Southern University in Louisiana. She is also on the Board of Directors for the Minority Cannabis Business Association. In addition, she is also Treasurer and Secretary of the DC Medical Cannabis Trade Association. Dr. Macias has also been involved in the investigation of oral diseases at Colgate-Palmolive Company, a Fortune 500 Company. Her research, time and energy have resulted in multiple scientific achievements including U.S. and Global Patients (World Intellectual Property Organization) and many publications.. 
Wanda James: In 2009, she became the first African-American woman to own a cannabis company in the United States, Simply Pure Dispensary in Denver, Colorado. She is a Naval ROTC Veteran, a graduate of Colorado University at Boulder, a former Fortune 100 executive, and the first female to be elected to Colorado’s First Congressional District Board in over 44 years. Wanda spends much of her time trying to bring attention to both gender and racial inequalities, within the cannabis industry. - Jane West & Jazmin Hupp: American cannabis activists and entrepreneurs, Jane West and Jazmin Hupp are best known as the founders of Women Grow, a networking organization that supports women in the cannabis industry. Among the two, West has gained slightly more notoriety. In 2016, Inc. magazine named Jane West “the most widely recognized female personality in cannabis,” and in 2019, InStyle magazine included her in its “Badass 50” list, highlighting women who are changing the world. Citeturn0search25
Dr. Junella Chin: An Asian-American female pioneer of Integrative Cannabis Medicine. She has founded 7 integrative cannabis clinics, as well as pioneering protocols for cannabinoid formulations. She has been featured on CNN and Good Morning America, as well as in Forbes magazine. She has also co-authored the book, Cannabis and CBD for Health and Wellness. She is currently a member of the Advisory Board for the New York State Office of Cannabis Management.
Emily Paxhia: She is a graduate from Skidmore College (B.A. in Psychology) and New York University (M.A. in Psychology). Co-founder and Managing Partner of Poseidon, she serves in several capacities. She has held board seats, served in advisory capacities, and also has worked in investment and governance. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Marijuana Policy Project, Treehouse Global Ventures, and the Board of Athletes for CARE. - X-Hemp: Founded by Andi Lucas, X-Hemp is an all-female startup in Australia producing ‘hempcrete,’ a sustainable building material. Despite facing funding challenges and misconceptions linking hemp to drug trade, the company has made significant strides in the construction industry, offering eco-friendly alternatives and highlighting the potential of hemp beyond traditional uses. Citeturn0news32
Ophelia Chong: A native of Canada, Chong came to the United States to attend ArtCenter College of Design in Los Angeles and graduated with a B.A. in Fine Arts and has published 3 books, as well as numerous articles, through Harper Collins, Gestalten and other publishers. Since completing her education, she has become a chameleon as graphic designer and photographer, educator, writer, founder and political activist. However, she describes herself as a “consultant, cannabis and psychedelics advocate, and cultivation mycologist.” Founder of Stock Pot Images, which addresses the negative/narrow stereotypes of cannabis users. She also founded Asian-Americans for Cannabis Education (AACE), partnered with Green Sky Strategy in 2019, which will be partnering with two incubators in the US and EU. She is also involved in the Community Outreach liaison for THC Design. While there, she was active in LGBT, Veterans, Women, Minorities and Disabled outreach. Commissioned by Simon & Schuster, her latest collage piece debuted in 2018. - Cynthia Salarizadeh: A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown University, she is the founder, President and CEO of House of Saka, Inc. as well as the founder of AxisWire, a newswire and entrepreneur tech suite for the cannabis industry. She is also the Co-founder of Green Market Media, which is most known for its publication Green Market Report, which covers cannabis finance news. Green Market Media is also known for the conference series Green Market Summit. She is also the Co-founder of the network Industry Power Women. KCSA Strategic Communications acquired her cannabis and cannabis PR firm Salar Media Group in 2018. She is a council member on Forbes Magazine’s Communications Council as well as a contributing writer for Entrepreneur Media. Entrepreneur Media publishes updates concerning the position and status of women, as they trailblaze a female path within the field of cannabis. Cynthia also sits on the advisory board of MoonCloth Designs, a cannabis company that promotes sustainable hospitality.
- Kristin Jordan: Kristin L. Jordan is an Asian-American attorney for Cannabis Law at Greenspoon Marder LLP. According to the National Law Journal’s 2024 NLJ 500 ranking of firms based on size, Greenspoon Marder has 208 attorneys and is ranked 208th in the United States. Through her legal practice, Jordan has over 20 years of legal experience in the fields of state licensing, real estate and regulatory issues in both government and the private sector. She is also a Co-Founder and First Executive Director of the Cannabis Cultural Association. In addition, she is also the Founder of Mannada, a cannabis event production company based in New York. Mannada is responsible for the Cannabis Media Summit, the Cannabis Real Estate Summit, the Cannabis Law Summit, and it produces a weekly event listing newsletter, The Maze. Jordan also spends much of her time supporting and promoting the following cannabis groups: The Committee on Cannabis for the NYS Bar Association, the Public Policy Committee of the Minority Cannabis Bar Association, the Asian-American Cannabis Roundtable, and Asian-Americans for Cannabis Education.
Gia Morón: An African-American business woman, known for her education and professional career. After attending Columbus State University, New York University and after approximately 25 years of PR experience, she is President for Women Grow. In 2012, Gia launched GVM Communications, Inc., a PR, brand and business development company. GVM Communications serves small to mid-sized businesses and non-profit organizations, entrepreneurs, and celebrities. She previously was a Media Relations Officer at the Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Furthermore, she was Director of Promotions and Publicity at The Fremantle Corporation, an international television company. Currently, she serves as a board member of Minorities for Medical Marijuana, Coalition Member of Start SMART NY and Member of Women Grow LLC.’s Board of Managers. - Yvonne DeLaRosa Green: After receiving her B.A. (Directing) and her M.F.A. (Screenwriting) in Theatre, Film and Television from UCLA, this mixed-decent Colombian/Native-American actress has appeared in multiple television shows including Weeds, CSI: Miami, NCIS, Law & Order, NYPD Blue, The Close, Longmire, King of Queens, How I Met Your Mother and Senior white, with Ron White. Using her celebrity for noble causes, DeLaRosa is the Co-Founder and CEO 99 High Tide and was named one of High Time’s “100 Most Influential People”, (High Times Magazine March 2018). In addition, DeLaRosa created the world’s first upscale medical cannabis dispensary: 99 High Art, located in Los Angeles. Rolling Stone magazine called this dispensary one of the best in California. In 2017, she was among the first individuals in Los Angeles County to receive a cannabis business license. Furthermore, DeLaRosa was named her “Business Woman of the Year” by Industry Power Women for her contributions to the cannabis industry. Recently, she helped legalize cannabis in Malibu, California by co-writing Measure G, which made it onto the November 2018 ballot in Malibu.
Margaret Mead: She is renowned for advancing cannabis legislation in the United States. Her testimony before Congress in 1969 argued against cannabis criminalization and emphasized the importance of understanding its medical uses. She argued for a more sensible and rational approach to cannabis legalization, which is based on a more scientific understanding of the plant itself and a realistic view of its place in society. Her efforts helped to overturn the negative stereotypes associated with cannabis use.
Maya Angelou: An iconic African-American writer and poet, she candidly spoke about her cannabis use for relaxation and creative inspiration in her autobiography, Gather Together In My Name (1974). In her biography she wrote, “…from a natural stiffness, I melted into a smiling tolerance. Walking the streets became a great adventure, eating my mother’s big dinners, magnificent entertainment; and playing with my son in absolute hilarity. For the first time, life amused me…” It has been argued that she humanized the use of cannabis, as well as emphasized its importance in the creative process.
Mary Jane Rathbun, aka “Brownie Mary”: An American cannabis rights activist, lobbyist and hospital volunteer who baked and freely distributed cannabis brownies to AIDS-afflicted victims in the area of San Francisco, California. During the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980’s, Mary was considered an angel to many patients at San Francisco General Hospital. She baked and distributed thousands of THC-laced brownies for such patients. Consequently, she was arrested on three separate occasions. Each arrest brought increasing international attention to the medical cannabis movement. Her “grandmother-like” appearance challenged the typical stereotypes associated with cannabis users. On August 25, 1996, the City of San Francisco eventually granted “Brownie Mary” legal authority to distribute the brownies. This was officially declared Brownie Mary Day. Her work and the work of those like Mary helped facilitate the proposal and passing of first San Francisco Proposition P (1991) and California’s Proposition 215, with 56% of the vote (1996). She is a shining testament to grassroots activism.
Madeline Martinez: A lifelong activist for the legalization of cannabis in the United States, especially Oregon. She has historically been associated with efforts behind the Oregon Ballot Measure 67 (1998), which legalized the cultivation, possession and use of cannabis by doctor recommendation. She is also associated with the Oregon Ballot Measure 91 (2014), which made recreational use of cannabis legal in Oregon. She has tirelessly fought to end national cannabis prohibition in order to “protect the rights of women and families stuck in the gray areas created by legislative changes across the country.” She founded the World Famous Cannabis Cafe (2009) and is the Director of Oregon NORML, the primary affiliate to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Moreover, Martinez co-founded the NORML Women’s Alliance and supports the Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.
Dr. Chanda Macias: A graduate of Rutgers University in Supply Chain Management (MBA) and Howard University in Cellular Biology (PhD), this African-American female empowerment figure is CEO and owner of National Holistic, the CEO for Women Grow and also its Chairwoman of the Board of Managers. She is also involved with Ilera Holistic Healthcare and its partner, Southern University in Louisiana. She is also on the Board of Directors for the Minority Cannabis Business Association. In addition, she is also Treasurer and Secretary of the DC Medical Cannabis Trade Association. Dr. Macias has also been involved in the investigation of oral diseases at Colgate-Palmolive Company, a Fortune 500 Company. Her research, time and energy have resulted in multiple scientific achievements including U.S. and Global Patients (World Intellectual Property Organization) and many publications.. 
Wanda James: In 2009, she became the first African-American woman to own a cannabis company in the United States, Simply Pure Dispensary in Denver, Colorado. She is a Naval ROTC Veteran, a graduate of Colorado University at Boulder, a former Fortune 100 executive, and the first female to be elected to Colorado’s First Congressional District Board in over 44 years. Wanda spends much of her time trying to bring attention to both gender and racial inequalities, within the cannabis industry. 
Dr. Junella Chin: An Asian-American female pioneer of Integrative Cannabis Medicine. She has founded 7 integrative cannabis clinics, as well as pioneering protocols for cannabinoid formulations. She has been featured on CNN and Good Morning America, as well as in Forbes magazine. She has also co-authored the book, Cannabis and CBD for Health and Wellness. She is currently a member of the Advisory Board for the New York State Office of Cannabis Management.
Emily Paxhia: She is a graduate from Skidmore College (B.A. in Psychology) and New York University (M.A. in Psychology). Co-founder and Managing Partner of Poseidon, she serves in several capacities. She has held board seats, served in advisory capacities, and also has worked in investment and governance. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Marijuana Policy Project, Treehouse Global Ventures, and the Board of Athletes for CARE. 
Ophelia Chong: A native of Canada, Chong came to the United States to attend ArtCenter College of Design in Los Angeles and graduated with a B.A. in Fine Arts and has published 3 books, as well as numerous articles, through Harper Collins, Gestalten and other publishers. Since completing her education, she has become a chameleon as graphic designer and photographer, educator, writer, founder and political activist. However, she describes herself as a “consultant, cannabis and psychedelics advocate, and cultivation mycologist.” Founder of Stock Pot Images, which addresses the negative/narrow stereotypes of cannabis users. She also founded Asian-Americans for Cannabis Education (AACE), partnered with Green Sky Strategy in 2019, which will be partnering with two incubators in the US and EU. She is also involved in the Community Outreach liaison for THC Design. While there, she was active in LGBT, Veterans, Women, Minorities and Disabled outreach. Commissioned by Simon & Schuster, her latest collage piece debuted in 2018. 
Cynthia Salarizadeh: A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown University, she is the founder, President and CEO of House of Saka, Inc. as well as the founder of AxisWire, a newswire and entrepreneur tech suite for the cannabis industry. She is also the Co-founder of Green Market Media, which is most known for its publication Green Market Report, which covers cannabis finance news. Green Market Media is also known for the conference series Green Market Summit. She is also the Co-founder of the network Industry Power Women. KCSA Strategic Communications acquired her cannabis and cannabis PR firm Salar Media Group in 2018. She is a council member on Forbes Magazine’s Communications Council as well as a contributing writer for Entrepreneur Media. Entrepreneur Media publishes updates concerning the position and status of women, as they trailblaze a female path within the field of cannabis. Cynthia also sits on the advisory board of MoonCloth Designs, a cannabis company that promotes sustainable hospitality.
Gia Morón: An African-American business woman, known for her education and professional career. After attending Columbus State University, New York University and after approximately 25 years of PR experience, she is President for Women Grow. In 2012, Gia launched GVM Communications, Inc., a PR, brand and business development company. GVM Communications serves small to mid-sized businesses and non-profit organizations, entrepreneurs, and celebrities. She previously was a Media Relations Officer at the Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Furthermore, she was Director of Promotions and Publicity at The Fremantle Corporation, an international television company. Currently, she serves as a board member of Minorities for Medical Marijuana, Coalition Member of Start SMART NY and Member of Women Grow LLC.’s Board of Managers. 
Yvonne DeLaRosa Green: After receiving her B.A. (Directing) and her M.F.A. (Screenwriting) in Theatre, Film and Television from UCLA, this mixed-decent Colombian/Native-American actress has appeared in multiple television shows including Weeds, CSI: Miami, NCIS, Law & Order, NYPD Blue, The Close, Longmire, King of Queens, How I Met Your Mother and Senior white, with Ron White. Using her celebrity for noble causes, DeLaRosa is the Co-Founder and CEO 99 High Tide and was named one of High Time’s “100 Most Influential People”, (High Times Magazine March 2018). In addition, DeLaRosa created the world’s first upscale medical cannabis dispensary: 99 High Art, located in Los Angeles. Rolling Stone magazine called this dispensary one of the best in California. In 2017, she was among the first individuals in Los Angeles County to receive a cannabis business license. Furthermore, DeLaRosa was named her “Business Woman of the Year” by Industry Power Women for her contributions to the cannabis industry. Recently, she helped legalize cannabis in Malibu, California by co-writing Measure G, which made it onto the November 2018 ballot in Malibu.The Importance of Platforms Like Cannected TV
Platforms like Cannected TV play a crucial role in amplifying the voices of women in the cannabis industry by:
- Providing Visibility: Showcasing female entrepreneurs, activists, and professionals, thereby inspiring others and promoting diversity.
- Educational Outreach: Offering content that educates viewers about the contributions of women in cannabis, fostering a more inclusive narrative.
- Networking Opportunities: Creating spaces for women to connect, share experiences, and collaborate, strengthening their presence in the industry.
Looking Ahead: Empowering Women in Cannabis
As the cannabis industry continues to grow, it’s imperative to address the challenges faced by women and work towards a more equitable environment. This involves:
- Policy Reforms: Implementing policies that promote gender diversity in leadership positions and ensure equal opportunities.
- Funding Support: Establishing grants and funding programs specifically aimed at supporting female entrepreneurs in the cannabis sector.
- Mentorship Programs: Developing mentorship initiatives that connect emerging female professionals with industry veterans, fostering growth and development.
By acknowledging the contributions of women and actively working to eliminate the barriers they face, the cannabis industry can move towards a more inclusive and prosperous future. Platforms like Cannected TV are instrumental in this journey, serving as catalysts for change and empowerment.
Conclusion
Cannected TV exemplifies the fusion of information, entertainment, and community within the cannabis industry. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, it’s essential to recognize the pivotal role women have played and continue to play in this field. By supporting platforms that promote inclusivity and by implementing measures to address existing disparities, we can ensure that the cannabis industry evolves into a space where everyone, regardless of gender, has the opportunity to thrive.
In honoring the past and looking towards the future, let us commit to fostering an environment that celebrates diversity, encourages innovation, and upholds the values of equity and respect. Through collective efforts, the cannabis industry can serve as a model for other sectors, demonstrating that progress and inclusivity go hand in hand.
Challenges and Triumphs: Women Navigating the Cannabis Industry
‘I’m not a drug dealer’: all-female hemp start-up seeks to raise $1.7m
Views: 21
Leave a Reply