Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:11):
Welcome to Just Say Now, where we shine a light
on cannabis with clarity, curiosity, and a commitment to credible conversation.
I'm your host, Maria Calabrese, and you're listening live on
KCAA Radio ten fifty am, one of six point five FM,
or wherever you listen to your podcast. Hey question, Oh
(00:34):
was it who said, if you want a thing done well,
get a couple of old broads to do it. Yep,
it was Betty Davis. And while she wasn't talking about cannabis,
let's be honest, she might as well have been. Very
easily could have been, because, as we're about to hear,
(00:57):
women are not just participating in this industry, they're transforming
it with vision, with courage, and with a whole lot
of grit. So this is part two of our special
two part series on women in Cannabis. If you joined
us last week or caught part one, you heard first
(01:21):
hand stories from trailblazing women about what it was like
to work in cannabis before legalization, the stigma they faced,
and how they navigated conversations with family about studying or
working in this emergent field. And today we're taking a
deeper look at the broader systems, policies, and power dynamics
(01:44):
that shape who succeeds in cannabis and who continues to
be left behind. Twenty nineteen, there was so much hope.
Women made up thirty seven percent of the cannabis execs
today eight just over twenty three percent are women and
(02:05):
women of color even less. Long Hey, we'll hear from
the UCLA Cantaclub panel with insights from leaders working at
the intersection of advocacy, research and representation. We're gonna shine
(02:26):
a light on why it is so critical for women,
especially women of color, to be at the forefront of
cannabis or any science, policy and product development. Later in
the show, our product spotlight features trailblazer and designed visionary
Doreen Sullivan, founder of My bud Vas, and her beautifully
(02:51):
crafted Mermaid bong vase. This bomb, made of artisanal glass,
doubles as a vow. I'm going to throw to a
video clip where Doreen shares her story and how she's
changing the face of cannabis accessories, one elegant piece at
a time. We're also going to dive into our consumer
(03:12):
tips and Insights segment with the Ladies of Mary Jane University,
as we explore how to find a cannabis doctor and
what questions to ask so you can feel confident, safe
and support it on your wellness journey. Now, the purpose
of today's show is to give you not just awareness,
but the tools, tools to advocate if you wish, tools
(03:34):
to support equity driven in women led businesses, tools to
just change the conversation, because together we have the power
to change the way the world sees green and that
includes how the world sees women in green. Stah sit that, relax,
(03:57):
and get ready to get smarter with some of the
smartest minds in the industry.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
By twenty twenty, Bank of America and Merrill Lynch estimate
that will grow to thirty five billion dollars, and many
experts believe it could eventually reach two hundred billion dollars
each and every year.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
On discut I can't see so much fun.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
Your morosic, you mos.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
I'm a butterfly who is gonna begone.
Speaker 5 (04:53):
Taking me a while to get it, had to live
and cry, to appreciate your life and what you give it.
When you hold an when you hold me so close,
someone better and under your skin. I want to leave
a mic so that I can be sure that's you,
and then the wise.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Before we dive deeper into today's second part of our
two part series on women in Cannabis, I want to
take you back to where this conversation began. On the
campus of UCLA. Just after adult use legalization in California,
a group of forward thinking students launched what became the
(05:36):
first student led cannabis organization in the country, UCLA Canna Club.
Their mission to educate students on the science, policy, and
career opportunities emerging in cannabis and to normalize the conversation
around it, long before it was even beginning to become
(05:56):
considered mainstream. At the helm of this groundbreaking initiative was Mahahack,
co founder of the UCLA Canon Club, who went on
and moderate a really truly powerful panel titled Womeny Cannabis.
Brought together such an inspiring and diverse group of pioneers,
each of them reshaping the narrative of what women and
(06:20):
weed who really look like. We'll hear from Ophelia Chung,
founder of Potstock Images, doctor Brandy Cross, PhD, founder of
the Pot Lab, and Felicia Carba Hall community organizer and
founder of High Felicia. Hey, let's bring Maha and this
incredible panel in as they discuss equity, science and representation,
(06:44):
what it takes to build a cannabis industry. It's going
to work for all of us.
Speaker 6 (06:52):
We especially at Canna Club, who we are very aware
of the social equity program in LA. We've had Cat
Packer come in a couple times speak to us about it.
I would like to hear your guys' take on that
and why we need it, why is it so important,
and what students should know about it.
Speaker 7 (07:12):
So I'm going to try to kind of tie into
the narrative since we're talking about our various communities. So
I'm Afro Indigenous in case you couldn't tell, you usually can't.
So that means I'm black, and I'm North American Indian.
I'm a choked on nation, although I'm registered as Dinner
or Navajo. In our communities, we are up against a
(07:33):
lot of things because cannabis means jail time, Cannabis means
the cops will kill you. Cannabis means a lot more
severe penalties. And this goes into Latino communities as well,
because anyone knows those are indigenous people as well.
Speaker 8 (07:48):
And it's not.
Speaker 7 (07:50):
Latinos that necessarily passes white that are being murdered by
the police.
Speaker 8 (07:54):
Let's just say so Europe against a lot of things.
Speaker 7 (07:56):
Even if people believe and grandma keeps the secret plant
in the closet that you don't know about, or that
bottle of something that she gives you when you're really sick,
and the same with black grandmas too.
Speaker 8 (08:05):
They do it too.
Speaker 7 (08:06):
They hide it because all they know is you could
go to jail, and even if they believe in the
medicinal powers, it's like, well it might heal you, but
you might die. So you know, it's this life or
death gamble and it has been in our communities for
a long time. So as a black person, I go
back to the history of bringing back slavery and bringing seed.
(08:26):
Here people's teeth were pulled out for saying the word daga,
which is in different African dialects means cannabis plant.
Speaker 8 (08:33):
They actually remove their teeth. So these things.
Speaker 7 (08:37):
Fall into this modern history where we have black, Latino
and Indigenous people kind of being held back by the
quote unquote legalization efforts. So the social equity bills are
really important. A lot of the licensing, and I've read
all the dialogue, and one thing I had a problem
with is you have to give up your indigenous federal
(08:58):
rights for this license. Why I give up federal indigenous
rights on my own land?
Speaker 8 (09:05):
Excuse me?
Speaker 7 (09:06):
Where my other ancestors built for free to have a
rokie dokey license that I'm paying ten thousand and up
a year to have. When nobody's making that kind of
money that cares about their patients, nobody's making that kind
of money, who labels correctly, nobody's making that kind of
(09:27):
money without oppressing someone else.
Speaker 8 (09:30):
So I have a lot of issues with the way Prop.
Speaker 7 (09:32):
Sixty five was written, because sorry sixty four sixty five,
because Prop two fifteen could have been cleaned up a
lot better. Patient advocacy groups were really against it, and
a lot of community groups were against it because it
took away the right for patients to cultivate for themselves,
(09:52):
and it took away their groups, their cooperatives where people
like us we get together and say, oh, hey, we
have this garage and we're gonna grow twenty plants. We're
gonna split them between us, and then we're gonna have
this medicine for a year.
Speaker 8 (10:04):
So there's a lot of problematic things.
Speaker 7 (10:06):
So the social equity programs are the only way to
kind of bring back free cannabis, giveaway farms, cooperative farms,
and you know, low cost medicine for people who are
truly sick, because being sick costs a lot of money.
If everyone wants to have capitalism, which I personally don't,
but if we're gonna live in capitalism, everything costs money.
(10:27):
And so with nowhere to donate to and know where
to give away cannabis, we're really hurting the patients while
we're rewarding recreational users.
Speaker 8 (10:36):
That's just my opinion.
Speaker 6 (10:38):
So on that note, gender equity is also a topic
that's floating around in the cannabis industry. There's articles that
we're seeing countless times on like within this industry that oh,
female executives are rising, the percentage, the rate it's rising.
Oh my gosh, cannabis industry best for women. So I
(10:59):
did a bit of research. I checked out some stats.
While that may be true on some levels.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
It's it was reported that there.
Speaker 6 (11:09):
Was an almost ten percent decrease from twenty fifteen to
twenty seventeen the rate of female executives in the cannabis industry.
So I'll tell you guys some exact stats right now.
This is about six hundred people sided from mjbisdaily. Thirty
six percent of executives were women in the cannabis industry
in twenty fifteen, twenty six point nine percent in twenty seventeen.
(11:34):
So that's that's a significant drop in my opinion. And
when we are considering female minority executives in the industry,
they're they're even lower than that.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
They are at five point three percent.
Speaker 6 (11:51):
And like, something that comes into my head is hopefully
social equity changes that hopefully we could see more see
more female minority executives and kind of stop it from dropping,
because it is it is.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
It is on a decline. So when you hear.
Speaker 6 (12:09):
That, oh, the industry is being paved for women, it is.
But you know, there's also issues that we got to,
you know, take into account.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
So how are some ways we could address that drop? How?
What what do you think happened? Why did that drop happen?
Speaker 9 (12:25):
Didn't you think to drop happened with licensing? Yeah, because
if you can't get a license, you don't have a company.
So most of the small, tiny, tiny, little craft were women,
and so with licensing and a cost, supplies dropped.
Speaker 10 (12:40):
You would ask in your first question when we were
talking about social equity and it's relevance in the conversation
and what students can do, I just wanted to touch
on it a little bit more because if we look
at it, like I always remember in my day, it
was called affirmative action. So we know that affirmative action
has been ruled and constitutional. So we're just trying to
(13:01):
figure out solutions and how do we create this equal, fair,
and just cannabis industry, Like this is a new industry.
Speaker 8 (13:10):
We have an opportunity.
Speaker 10 (13:12):
As women, as people of color, as just people in
general who want to support and foster this idea that
women are half of the population. So if we're half
of the population, that should be reflective. So in terms
of as students, you're gonna have to dig a little
bit deeper. You're gonna have to fight a lot harder,
especially if you're a female, just because we oftentimes don't
(13:34):
get that recognition. And one of the to touch on
what Ophelia said in terms of not having the resources,
it's not having the resources, and then women of color
in particular like dude, nobody visits us in jail, you know,
like having to remind people, like people don't visit women
in jail. And this is still federally illegal. So even
if you were to go through certain licensing fees and
(13:57):
do all of the things that you necessarily have to do,
this is ill federally illegal. So I would imagine that
some moms, some other people when they were deciding what
they wanted to do when they grew up, having a cannabis.
Speaker 8 (14:10):
Business isn't one of those things.
Speaker 10 (14:12):
So that's why it's going to be really important that
all of you young people in here who have interest
in this conversation that number one, you support each other,
because that's oftentimes you don't see that, and that's such
a necessity that you support each other because well, all
we have is each other, especially in the cannabis industry
when it comes to some of the male domination that
(14:35):
we're currently seeing, and then with that it goes their values.
Speaker 8 (14:40):
So if we're gonna deal with.
Speaker 10 (14:42):
The sex is, classes, racesm misogyny, and all of these
things that we're trying to eradicate from the conversation, all
of you ladies who are sitting here with us and
you gentlemen as well, because we're gonna need those strong
eye allies who know how to step up and then
remember to step back though, guys, because we've been having
issues with that. But that's that's something different. But in
(15:07):
terms of I mean, that's what we're gonna have to
do to have a equal, fair and just cannabis industry
is all of you guys are gonna have to just
be aware that there's going to be a lot of work.
There's a lot of money for some people, but for
many of us, especially women, it's going to be a
lot of work. It's digging in deep. It's that's my
sister right there. How can I help you? That's my
(15:29):
sister right there? How can I help you? And being
like sincere.
Speaker 6 (15:34):
Definitely well on so on the topic of bringing more
to female minorities. So STEM education, as mentioned earlier, we
can connect cannabis with research. So STEM education is already
kind of picking its way up with minority communities. It's
still lacking and it's something that you know, we got
(15:55):
to work on. So, uh, doctor Brandy, how would you
how like how important do you think that women of
color need to be represented within the STEM community as
well as a cannabis research community.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Are there.
Speaker 6 (16:10):
Are they being represented enough? I don't think so, but
I'd love to hear from you about you.
Speaker 8 (16:16):
Never heard of me, so that answers to your question.
Speaker 7 (16:21):
There's a reason, and it's a lot of male, white,
male dominant strong arming. I don't know how many times
I'm going to argue with the janitor.
Speaker 8 (16:28):
Over whether or not to use gasoline.
Speaker 7 (16:30):
To make cannabis oil, and that you're gonna eat right
As a black woman, people just still look at me.
Speaker 8 (16:37):
Actually, I don't even need these to see.
Speaker 7 (16:38):
I just wear them because you perceive me differently if
I wear them. They're ADHD glasses.
Speaker 8 (16:43):
For using the computer so I can read the computer
more easily.
Speaker 7 (16:46):
But I find that when I wear them, people actually
take me seriously as a PhD in biochemistry and don't
think I'm an artist or a dancer which I like
to dance, or a singer or.
Speaker 8 (16:57):
I mean, there's nothing wrong with these vocations.
Speaker 7 (16:59):
It's interesting that I would be going somewhere with my
stem family at Hopkins or my UCLA stem fam and
we have our little posters and they check everyone and
they be like, yeah, we're going to sell biology conference
and they get to me and they be.
Speaker 8 (17:12):
Like, oh, is this artwork? I'd be like, what's different
about me?
Speaker 7 (17:18):
Like, there's three people from India, three people who are Chinese,
a Japanese person, three white people, and then you get
to me and suddenly I'm an artist. Right, So representation matters,
but it also matters if you're actually representing where you
came from. And this is I got to say this
to possibly and you minority STEM people here. I grew
(17:40):
up in a blue collar family. I almost said black collar,
A very blue collar family. I mean, my parents are
both ex convicts. They're both convicted for murder. They were
both pardoned. It was in self defense. This is during
the civil rights thing. My mom is Caucasian, but raise
me pro black. So I grew up to fight for
my sisters, learning that all people were my sisters and brothers.
(18:06):
So going into STEM was a funny thing because they
didn't know what the hell I was doing.
Speaker 8 (18:11):
It was kind of like being little Sheldon, right.
Speaker 7 (18:14):
I was just like, oh, this thing, this thing, and
these rockets, and they were like, okay, whatever, but they
offered me unwielded support and just like any poor people would,
I noticed in poor families.
Speaker 8 (18:26):
They're just like, yay go little magic, and they don't
know what the hell I'm talking about.
Speaker 7 (18:29):
They're just like, dude, And I went to school some
of the richest kids in the nation.
Speaker 8 (18:35):
I mean nanny kids. You could tell.
Speaker 7 (18:36):
They just chewed with their mouth open. They wiped their
hands on their pants. You're twenty five, Like, come on,
you really like And I felt bad because I knew,
at least my family might be kind of messed up,
but at least they love me. Like I didn't know
what they were going or if they were going home
in the holidays to anyone, and they had all these
things and everything, and they were what people expect to
(18:56):
be a scientist. They were white, they're male, they were
heterosexual soccer players and you know, either played rugby or
whatever you know rich people do. And they were no
better scientists than I were.
Speaker 8 (19:06):
In fact, like.
Speaker 7 (19:07):
There are like eleventh year students I would say, we're
mostly white guys that were just.
Speaker 8 (19:11):
Like hang it out. And I'm like, really, it must be.
Speaker 7 (19:13):
Nice for it to be that easy, because I was
like crying in my books and like always having to
prove myself. So if you are in a STEM program
and you're a woman, just know you have to be
ten times better. If you're black or indigenous, or if
your skin is darker than a paper bag or even
gets that dark, you're going to be one hundred times better.
(19:34):
And so hold yourself to that standard and nobody will
ever be able to knock you.
Speaker 8 (19:40):
That's not like a pull yourself up by your bootstraps.
Not everybody's able to do that. But if you can't
ask your sisters for help, turn to people and ask
for help. That's something that I had to learn.
Speaker 7 (19:50):
Find your allies, because there's a whole world out there
saying that you can't, and they'll continue to say you
can't even when you're canning like I was in gra
school canning winning awards, and people were still trying to, like,
you know, dig at me. Other grad students would always
be competing with me or whatever, and I ignored it.
Speaker 8 (20:10):
I held my chin up.
Speaker 7 (20:12):
Hey, I sound so corny, and I kept doing one
hundred times better because that's the only way.
Speaker 8 (20:17):
And in our industry, there's absolutely there's like me.
Speaker 7 (20:20):
And like one other PhD in public health. I knew
that I know of there's not many women to begin with.
Most of the dudes are trying to make money. I
saw a very famous lab in the industry posted, oh,
cannabis stops the spread of HIV, and I'm like, oh
my god, that was a monkey study. It's not even true.
Please don't do that.
Speaker 8 (20:38):
Like I'm like freaking out because I care. And I
think that's a difference between women. We're so passionate. I
don't identify just as woman, but as a two spirit person.
I'm so passionate about what I do.
Speaker 7 (20:51):
And I would never try to harm someone in that way,
not even if it made me look smart and good
and made a million dollars which my family could totally use,
you know that, And more focused on remembering where I
came from and helping those students that think, oh, I'm
not rich and I don't fit in, and I'm weird
and I'm queer, and I'm this in my my family's
(21:12):
borrowing money from me, you know, while I'm in college, Like,
you can do it, and you're just gonna have to
do it better, and you're just gonna have to tie
your shoes a little bit tighter, and you have to
get up a little bit more early, and they'll learn
to accept you.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
They'll learn to like it definitely.
Speaker 6 (21:27):
Yeah, you got supporters. We're all here to support each
other at Canna Club.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
That's what we do.
Speaker 6 (21:33):
I have a question for you, Ophelia, So with your
art work with Stockpot Images, what do you think sets
your work apart from other people who are doing the same, Like,
what is your personal flare to your own art?
Speaker 9 (21:50):
Well, stock Pot Images is a stock agency, So I
have two hundred and forty photographers or more, I mean more. Next,
I just signed some on so Sarajevo, but none of
it's my art. So that's completely different than what I
used to do anyhow. So with Stockpot it's a it's
a it's a business model. It's based like Getty or stocksy.
(22:13):
So what I do is I'm the middleman between my
photographers and the client. And what I do is offer
all these images to our clients and we go everything
from seed the sale. We have the largest collection of
strains in the world, ripe flower, dry flower, indoor, outdoor, everything,
So how if there's any of it in there of me,
(22:37):
it's just maybe how I curate the images. But other
than that, Stockpot is a business and there is some
creativity in it, but none of mine is all my photographers,
so and a little bit back yeah, yeah, so, but
going back to a little bit about the people of color.
(22:59):
As an Asian and American, I'm not profiled, right. I
can drive up and down the coast with buckets of
weed and back my car in bins and I've done
that and this go up, go up to five, and
I'm wavings like, hey, how you doing? And he said, oh, look,
it's like a Korean pta mom going up there. And
(23:21):
so for Asian Americans, we're not We have not been
profiled in that way as African Americans and Latinos, and
so for us, we haven't felt the brunt of what
has been happening since the seventies. So for me, my
experience as a person of color is just as an
(23:42):
Asian American. So we do You and I We both
have instances where we've had racist attacks on us, but
we I feel that we are not profiled as heavily
as other minorities. We don't we have, Yeah, we haven't.
I have an advantage that I'm not so not that
(24:05):
I'm taking more seriously or as a woman or anything else,
but I don't have that profile on me exactly.
Speaker 6 (24:10):
Yeah, there's definitely a lot more disparities amongst you know,
black and Hispanic communities compared to other people of color.
And thank you guys so much. Thank you everyone for
showing up, for supporting It's it's been a wild ride
with this cannabis student group. This is something I've always
wanted to do. I'm so glad you guys are all
a part of it. And thank you so much to
(24:32):
these amazing panelists Alicia, Doctor, Brandy, Ophelia, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
They are amazing, amazing, amazing, amazing. And I had the
good pleasure of running into Oh Phil Chong after the event.
Let me let me just share that quick clip with you, guys.
(25:08):
Maria Calibre's here, Greenbey Life. We just heard the most inspiring,
empowering panel. And Ophelia Chong, I mean you are You're
just a trailblazer. You had my attention immediately when you started.
You started the panel with talking about being a mom.
May I share some of it? Who used to back
(25:31):
in the day when we would make fun of people, right? No,
not us who smoked pot the mom who was check
making her kids pee in a cup?
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Yep, that was me.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
And now you've morphed into the mom.
Speaker 8 (25:45):
Who offers them weed.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Oh well, Ophelia, we captured your panel. You were amazing.
Anything you'd like to say about Maha Hawk, who put
the huck, who put this together, and the UCLA Canic Club.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
I'm just so proud of her.
Speaker 9 (26:01):
And I wish we had this when I was younger,
because if I had it when I was younger, and
my mind would have been expanded a lot sooner, not
now later. But I wish we had it too.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
But you know who else wishes your kids?
Speaker 9 (26:16):
I know, well not really because they were one hundred eighteen,
so it wasn't good for them.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Then, No, but they went up. But maybe they wouldn't
have had a pie in a cup. But you're right,
you're right.
Speaker 9 (26:28):
It's still making pan a cup just for a hell
of it.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
That's a good point.
Speaker 9 (26:31):
That's a good point, just a you know, no we
needn test it, but just to making pan.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
But the under eighteen, you're one hundred percent. We're that
kind of family.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Just p in a cup, all right, all right?
Speaker 10 (26:42):
A failure.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Well, it was a great, great conversation. Thank you, thank you.
She's a trip and she shared such wonderful insights about
being against cannabis, being a mom wondering what her kids
were doing with the apples, carving them into a bond,
(27:03):
and she just had great stories. But her evolution from
you know, kind of against it to curious and then
enlightened and now an advocate, it's it's there's nothing like
a cannabis convert. What can I say? So those insights
(27:26):
really remind us the why equity isn't It's not just
an abstract idea. It's about access, fairness, and building a
future that includes everyone, whether it's funding for women owned businesses,
representation in decision making, or mentorship in science. These stories
(27:47):
make one thing clear. Equity is action and we can
all play a part as advocates, consumers and content creators. Media. First,
we have to acknowledge the roadblocks women in cannabis are
still facing and that dip that's happening in the c
(28:08):
suite positions. You know, it's imperative to recognize that these
challenges are amplified on top of it for women of color.
You know, one of the panels said afterwards to me,
we're not just asking for a seat. We're still building
the table with scraps and that really summed it up.
(28:29):
From lack of capital, leadership opportunities, and mentorship, to gender stereotyping,
workplace harassment, exclusion from industry networks, and tokenization. These aren't
just checkboxes, guys. These these they're barriers that shape who
(28:49):
get to lead and who get left behind. You know,
representation in science it isn't just about fairness. It's about outcomes.
It's about making sure the products we're putting out into
the world actually serve the people who are using them
and who need them. When we talk about science and
(29:13):
product development, the stakes are even higher. I mean, who
better to design wellness solutions for women than women From
mental pain and menopause to intimacy and mood. We need
women in lapse, in R and D and on innovation teams,
not just to make products for women, but to make
(29:34):
them better. History has shown us what happens when women
are left out. Of twenty eleven National Institute of Health
study found that only one in four clinical trials considered
sex differences back then, leading to drugs designed for men
that didn't work or even worse cost harm for women.
Speaker 9 (29:55):
Now.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
This underscores the importance of including women in clinical research
to ensure that the medical findings are comprehensive enough to
be applicable to all genders. The underrepresentation of women in
the field of medical research has long been and remains
(30:17):
an issue, but for black and other women of color,
this exclusion has led to even greater health disparities. You know,
black women are forty percent more likely to die from
breast cancer than white women, despite similar incidence rates. This
is an alarming statistic. You know, it's partly due to
(30:40):
their underrepresentation in clinical trials, which results in treatments that
may not be as effective for them. On top of that,
the historical exclusion of women of color for medical research
is perpetuated systemic biases, leading to a lack of understanding
and mists diagnosies of conditions that just disproportionately affect them.
(31:05):
This not only affects individual health outcomes, but it also
undermines the overall efficacy of medical advancements. In the cannabis industry,
where research and product development they're still evolving the inclusion
of diverse perspectives, it's critical. It's crucial. Who better to
(31:27):
understand and address the unique health needs of women of
color than the scientists and researchers who share those experiences.
By opening doors for women of color and cannabis science
and research, we not only foster innovation, but we also
ensure that the benefits of cannabis are accessible and effective
(31:47):
for all communities. And when we include women of all colors,
we get better results. Listen. By way of example, here
here's a wonderful brand. Take four Wellness. It's a top
shelf CBD brand for sexual health. Now, while not women
(32:07):
found it, its male co founders made intentional moves to
build a women led brand focused on cannabis and botanical
products for pleasure and pain relief. In twenty twenty, Michelle Harrington,
a black woman with deep roots in the cannabis industry,
she joined for You as head of Strategic Partnerships. In
(32:31):
that leadership role, she's been instrumental in expanding the brand's
reach and building meaningful collaborations, particularly around educating and empowering
women of color about the benefits of CBD for their
sexual wellness and intimacy. You know, this brand's success proves
(32:54):
that when women lead, and when leadership reflects the full
spectrum of lived experience, we create solutions that are smarter, safer,
and more inclusive. According to McKenzie a mackinney report, companies
in the top quarter for gender diversity on executive teams,
(33:18):
they were twenty five percent twenty five percent more likely
to outperform on profitability. So leaving women out of cannabis
science and leadership, it isn't just inequitable, it's a missed
opportunity for innovation and economic growth. So as we continue
the conversation today, I invite you to think about your role.
(33:38):
Whether you're in the industry or just tuning in, you
have power through your voice, your votes, and the brands
you choose to support. You know, whether it's in formulation,
product testing, dosage design or marketing strategy, we need diverse
(34:00):
minds in the room. When we design with more people
in mind, we serve everyone better. And when we include
women at the table, we don't just build a better
cannabis industry, we build a better future. And this goes
for any industry. But speaking of women leaning the way
(34:21):
in this industry, at our very own greenby Life, we've
always believed in shining the spotlight and celebrating the feminine
power rooted in this plant and in this entire movement.
After all cannabis is a female plant. She eelds, she nurtures,
(34:42):
and she grows stronger when cared for in the right environment,
just like you know, incredible women shaping this industry. Up next,
we're sharing a special quick Hits episode from GBLTV that
shines a light on that very energy women celebrating women
(35:03):
in the cannabis space. It's a short spirited look at
how far we've come, how we continue to lift each
other up, and why honitoring the feminine side of cannabis
matters now more than ever. Let's have a look.
Speaker 11 (35:34):
This is very much celebrated as a female plant and
feminine energy and not Marria John Yeah. Yeah, and its
roots are in compassion and caregiving and as women, we're
kind of programmed to do that. And yeah, I've always
(35:55):
felt that.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
Way within the cannabis industry. What is the biggest obstacle
that you think we as wi men face.
Speaker 8 (36:00):
It's the same thing everywhere.
Speaker 12 (36:01):
It's patriarchate, So we have to deconstruct patriarchate.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
But it's a female plant, so why not.
Speaker 3 (36:07):
We're a nurturing spirit. We're nurturing sex just like the plant.
For the firs time I went into a dispensary.
Speaker 6 (36:13):
I walk in excited, got my fresh new medical card.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
It was just crisp paper.
Speaker 13 (36:19):
I see these two miserable girls well, and like uniforms,
they were scantily clad.
Speaker 6 (36:27):
They were totally uncomfortable, and I'm like, you guys, can't
be doing this.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
And I ended up.
Speaker 6 (36:34):
Working there and managing that dispensary and killing all those wolves.
Speaker 10 (36:39):
Yeah, how do we create this equal, fair, and just
cannabis industry? Like this is a new industry. We have
an opportunity as women, as people of color, as just
people in general who want to support and foster this
idea that women are half of the population. So if
we're half of the population, and that should be reflective,
(37:02):
all we have is each other, especially in the cannabis
industry when it comes to some of the male domination
that we're currently seeing.
Speaker 8 (37:09):
So if we're gonna deal.
Speaker 10 (37:10):
With the sex is classes, race is, misogyny, and all
of these things that we're trying to eradicate from the conversation,
all of you ladies who are sitting here with us,
and you gentlemen as well, all of you guys are
going to have to just be aware that there's going
to be a lot of work. There's a lot of
money for some people, put for many of us, especially women,
(37:34):
it's going to be a lot of work.
Speaker 8 (37:35):
It's digging in deep.
Speaker 10 (37:37):
That's my sister right there. How can I help you?
That's my sister right there. How can I help you?
Speaker 8 (37:42):
And being sincere.
Speaker 13 (37:44):
The fabulous problem I had is there are so many
women in cannabis today.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
So what I.
Speaker 13 (37:49):
Tried to do was create a really great cross section
of all the types.
Speaker 8 (37:54):
Of women involved in the industry.
Speaker 13 (37:55):
And it was a difficult task to try to.
Speaker 8 (37:58):
Narrow it down.
Speaker 13 (37:59):
We have forty women represented in the film. We have
a social responsibility to show that it's possible for women
to come into the space. So Gina Davis says, if
you can see it, you can be it, and I
took that to heart.
Speaker 12 (38:13):
Spend where you want to see your dollars being spent,
Find female dispensaries, use the products that are made by
female companies, or at least equity based companies. You know,
it doesn't have to be, you know, all women all
the time, but that would never actually be the case
because women only own about twenty five twenty six percent
of the companies.
Speaker 1 (38:33):
Anyway, I love that that's on at Greenbee Life dot
Com GBLTV. That's our quick hit series. Hey guys, stick around.
I'm going to be back after a really short break
for our consumer Tips and Inside segment where we'll hear
(38:56):
from the women of Marrying University on how to find
a cannabis doctor. Stay tuned.
Speaker 4 (39:05):
Did you know TC and CBD are just two of
more than one hundred cannabinoids.
Speaker 14 (39:12):
At greenbe Life, you can watch GBL TV with an
evolving slate of original programming.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
I'm going up, up, up from a.
Speaker 14 (39:20):
Diverse group of on air personalities.
Speaker 15 (39:24):
I want my GVLTV, where we cover everything from pets
to wellness compliance, social equity, culinary.
Speaker 14 (39:36):
Arts, sustainability, and much much more. You can learn from
articles on our journal, and you can shop or know
and go for carefully curated, high quality products for a
conscious lifestyle.
Speaker 8 (39:53):
Watch learn shop green Bee Life, Changing the wor the World's.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
Green all Rite and keeping with celebrating the women in
cannabis and oh my god, is it an embarrassment of riches? Here?
Next up, it's time for our Consumer Tips and Insights
(40:21):
segment featuring the wise and witty women of Mary Jane
University on the topic of women's representation and science. If
you've ever wondered how to find a cannabis doctor, well,
what do you even look for? You're not alone for
many people navigating this part of the journey can feel very,
(40:44):
very intimidating, and let's be honest, googling read doctor near
me doesn't exactly give you the guidance or reassurance you need.
So here are a few things to keep in mind
when finding trying to find the right cannabis doctor for you.
Look for legitimacy. Make sure the physician is licensed and
(41:06):
in good standing. That goes for any physician. Bonus points
if they specialize in integrative or cannabinoid medicine and they're
out there. It's also beneficial if they have additional certifications
in cannabis medicine. Seek recommendations, Talk to friends, family, patient
advocacy groups, even butt tenders who have experience with medical cannabis.
(41:29):
Personal referrals I finally lead to the best, best trusted professionals.
Speaker 8 (41:38):
Check the vibe.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
Are they focused on wellness and education or just pushing paperwork?
You know, a good cannabis doctor should take time to
understand your health goals, not rush you through a recommendation
form and come prepared. Okay, bring your medical history of course,
a list of current medications and the symptoms are conditions
(42:00):
you're hoping to treat with cannabis or learn more about
whether you can treat them with cannabis. And know your
state's rules. Every state has different requirements for qualifying conditions,
documentation and the type of recommendation or card you'll need.
And if you're still unsure where to start, platforms like
(42:22):
Leafley leaf for one, one rivera heel they can help
connect you to qualified, patient focused doctors in your area.
We'll have their resources on our show page at greenbeelife
dot com. Now don't just take it from me. Let's
hear from the ladies of Mary Jane University, who I
(42:43):
absolutely adore and I've learned so much from, who know
first hand how powerful it can be to have a
medical professional now important it is in your corner.
Speaker 16 (42:55):
And that's part of why Barbie and I started the
networking group for Cannabis Professionals was because there was a
hunger for disinformation. How I heard that cannabis can help
my kid with ADHD, my nephew, Well, where do.
Speaker 8 (43:10):
I find it?
Speaker 1 (43:11):
As opposed to riddling right right, baby prozac?
Speaker 16 (43:15):
Well, where do I find a doctor?
Speaker 8 (43:17):
Wils Oh?
Speaker 1 (43:18):
Yeah, why do you find a doctor? Can you tell
us some of the kind of heroes about the pediatricians
out there?
Speaker 11 (43:24):
No, Doctor Bonnie Goldstein is one of our favorites.
Speaker 1 (43:27):
Someone we really would love to have on Yes.
Speaker 11 (43:30):
And I have no idea how long her wait list
is these days, which only speaks to the fact that
we need more medical professionals. The time is now. That's
the missing link.
Speaker 1 (43:40):
I understand she stands on the shoulders of her predecessors,
the risk their medical licenses and potentially going to prison.
Speaker 11 (43:47):
Yeah, mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (43:49):
Absolutely, But it's.
Speaker 11 (43:50):
The only way to really help children in a legal
way is to get that doctor recommendation from a physician
like doctor Bonnie Goldstein, which is a different type of
physician than the prop two fifteen doctors where you just
get a five minute interview and you get your doctor's wreck.
This is a full examination. She has extensive knowledge in
(44:13):
the endocannabinoid system. She's a speaker, she's an author, and
we need more doctors to step up.
Speaker 1 (44:19):
Bonnie Goldstein, And where is she located?
Speaker 11 (44:21):
She has several centers. They're called canna centers. Right, Yeah,
I think there's one in Lakewood and out southern California. Yes, yes,
I hope she opens more and recruits more doctors.
Speaker 1 (44:33):
Well, recruits more doctors and teaches them more doctors can feel.
Speaker 11 (44:38):
Safe because cannabis. It's a big thing for people to
who are still against cannabis to say, oh, save the
children from drugs. But I love to say how cannabis
is saving the children. It's really making a huge difference
in children's lives, especially the ones that suffer from severe epilepsy.
(45:01):
There's a form of epilepsy called Gervase syndrome and they
can have three hundred seizures a week. Introduce cannabis in
their system and that drops to ten or less per week.
So you can imagine just the relief that the parents
get and it's natural and there's no side effects. Oh
maybe you giggle and you get hungry. Sign me up
for those side effects.
Speaker 17 (45:22):
So thank god, Thank god for right, right, right, thank
God for organizations like Mary Jane University, because that's a
resource a parent can turn to and it's a safe
resource and it's not threatening.
Speaker 16 (45:34):
We're trying to promote normalization through education.
Speaker 1 (45:40):
Hey, guys. Ah, they are trying to promote normalization through
education and it's very important, and the FDA requires me
to make this disclaimer that whenever medical claims are made,
they have not been evaluated by the FDA, and it's
kind of or CBD has not been evaluated to treat
(46:04):
or cure any type of medical condition. So that's another
episode because the FDA dragging their feet on evaluating the
efficacy is really not helping move the needle forward. And
(46:26):
by the way, there are tens of thousands of studies
out there, so we'll have resources on the show page,
but I had to give us the little disclaimer. So
one name that comes up again and again when we
talk about trusted cannabis doctors is doctor Bonnie Goldstein that
(46:51):
the Ladies of Mary Jane mentioned. She's the founder and
medical director of Canni Centers. Cana Centers also will be
on our resource under our resources on our show page
at Greenbeelife dot com. Cannas Centers is a California based
practice that has health thousands of patients, especially children with
(47:12):
epilepsy and autism. She's helped them find relief through cannabis medicine.
Doctor Goldstein is also the author of a game changing book,
Cannabis's Medicine. It's a go to guide for patients and
healthcare providers. She's a leading voice in cannabinoid science. She's
(47:34):
not only a woman woman of cannabis who's blazing trails
in cannabis education. She's humanizing the patient experience. She's helping
families and individuals reclaim their health with confidence and compassion.
So remember, finding the right cannabis doctor is a personal journey,
but some very very very formable doctors and studies are emerging.
(47:58):
Take your time, ask questions, and insure you feel comfortable
with any doctor you're looking for his approach to your care.
So as we talk about the importance of gender equity
and cannabis in this episode's legal update, it's important to
(48:21):
remember that policy alone doesn't create change. That's what I
want to say, because there's not a whole lot of
legal updates moving the ball forward. But again, it's important
to remember the policy alone doesn't create change. People do,
especially those who push boundaries, challenge outdated norms, and prioritize
(48:43):
patient care. People like doctor Bonnie Goldstein. She's a true
pioneer in the medical cannabis space. You know, her work
alone has helped so many people, particularly children with really
complex conditions, and she's helped them find personalized cannabis therapies
(49:05):
that improve their quality of life. She's a powerful reminder
that when women are included not just as patients, but
as practitioners, researchers, and policy shapers, the outcomes are better,
whether it's shaping how cannabis has prescribed, researched, or understood.
Women like Dr Goldstein proved that inclusion in science and
(49:28):
doctor Brandy Brandy Cross when proof that include when women
are included in science, it isn't just about fairness, it's
about advancing care, improving outcomes, and expanding access. That's why
continuing to fight for equity and licensing, research funding and
(49:50):
healthcare representation. And it isn't just the right thing to do,
it's the smart thing to do. I want to take
a moment to spotlight the evolving legal lands gape when
it comes to social equity and cannabis. Now in California,
local equity programs they've been expanding. We have a whole
(50:10):
episode on social equity just say no episode that you
could get at greenbey life dot com. Or wherever you
listen to podcasts, but the local equity programs here in
our state, California, they've been expanding, including new funding for
technical assistance, grant opportunities, and business incubation. However, many of
(50:35):
these programs they face challenges with rollout and accessibility, but
groups like the Super and OVA Women and the More
the Cannabis Equity Policy Council, they're pushing for accountability, transparency,
(50:55):
and measurable outcomes. Nationally, lawmakers they've introduced federal proposals like
MORE Act the Safe Banking Act, both of which could
improve access for minority owned cannabis businesses, but as of now,
progress is still slow, almost stalled. With the new administration,
(51:18):
it's more important than ever to stay engaged, so vote,
support local cannabis equity coalitions and keep informed because real
change depends on public pressure and participation. When we return,
we're gonna you're gonna want to see our product spotlight,
(51:41):
So stay tuned. We're going to be back after a
very very very short break. Brought to you from Leaf
four to one one.
Speaker 18 (51:50):
Whether you're brand new to cannabis or a longtime user,
we know you have questions and Leaf for one one
is here to help. Leaf for one One is a
nonprofit that provides free or low cost cannabis education through
our nurse guidance services that can answer your health related
questions like the benefits of CBD versus THHC, potential prescription interactions,
and the best ratios for pain, sleep, and anxiety. Get
(52:12):
your questions answered today call us to speak with a
cannabis nurse or visit our website to schedule your call
and find ways to support this much needed public service.
Speaker 1 (52:22):
All right, there are a great resource and you could
catch Catherine Holden, their founder, on Ask the Nurse Are
Ask Nurse episode of Just Say Now. So now it's
time to feature one of the most creative, empowering female
led brands in the space in this week's product spotlight
(52:43):
My bud Vas, founded by the incredible Doreen Sullivan. Doren
has redefined what cannabis accessories can look like, infusing beauty, functionality,
and a strong sense of identity into every my bud
Vas piece. These are stunning vases that double as fully
(53:04):
functional bonds. They're designed for women who want something discreete, elegant, expressive,
and probably their own. I caught up with Doreen at
the fabulous ninety nine High Tide Dispensary in Malibu. And
let's take a look at my conversation where Doreen Short
shares a little about her journey and inspiration for the
(53:26):
incredible Mermaid Bond.
Speaker 19 (53:28):
So you remember when I used to have to hide
the rigs and put them behind your couch or put
them in the closet. Now you don't have to do that.
You can just put a flower in it, turn it around,
and you're out the door anyway. So that's just one
of the features of our products. But we're very honored
to make smoking more beautiful and to be bringing some
creative choices to your cannabis lifestyle.
Speaker 1 (53:49):
And our viewers would.
Speaker 20 (53:50):
Love to know anything new on all Right, Okay, so
since we're here and we're celebrating at ninety nine High Side,
I will tell you that our next election is going
to be.
Speaker 19 (54:01):
Mermaid inspired and we were just talking with Yvonne and
Sam and we're going to launch it here.
Speaker 1 (54:09):
We would love to have you come back.
Speaker 19 (54:10):
And cover it, and we're going to launch it towards
the end of the summer as soon as fingers crossed
it and the Mermaid gets out of the ocean in time.
Her name is going to be Yamaya, and Yamaya is
the goddess of the ocean, and she protects the waters
and the animals of the sea. And I'm so into
this piece that I'm literally flying to China to find
(54:30):
things to go with it, because I just feel it
creating in me.
Speaker 8 (54:35):
This piece.
Speaker 19 (54:35):
I live on the ocean, I look out at the ocean.
I'm the ocean is speaking to me, and I just
really want to make a beautiful piece that is mermaid
and ocean inspired and fingers crossed it.
Speaker 1 (54:47):
All loanks good and you're leaving for China tomorrow morning. Yeah.
Speaker 19 (54:52):
I meaning with product developers, manufacturers, glass companies, I'm trying
to kind of reorg some of the mechan of the
typical bong and then just find decorative pieces, you know,
like in things that inspire me. I want to make
product globally. I don't want to be limited to a
country or a place or a piece. Like everything to
me like this little this is a small bottle brush
(55:17):
flower in Coyote, but like it actually is what inspired
the color of the boll mine. So I obsess over
the details of a product and so I love all
these elements that add to the See.
Speaker 8 (55:30):
It's a feminine trait.
Speaker 1 (55:31):
You talk about that women are exactly exacting. Yes, you
remember that, Dorry, and I've learned so much from me.
So I think women we exact.
Speaker 19 (55:40):
We want the exact right bong with the exact right bowl,
with the exact right flower. Maybe we want the exact
right nails, with the exact right namea.
Speaker 1 (55:48):
With the exact right man. Yeah, that's the man we are.
Speaker 19 (55:52):
So we can't see the exact the men when we're
trying Sorry, we're not trying to male bastional anyhow. I
don't like the exact right man, the exact thing a
man from you would have a boat and pick me
up at the.
Speaker 8 (56:02):
End of the march.
Speaker 1 (56:03):
Okay, anyhow, me on all that.
Speaker 19 (56:07):
So that's kind of part of why I'm sourcing. I mean,
when you go to another country, like so many people today,
they spend all their time looking through a computer to
find what they need. But when you can actually get
out into another country and you can see all that's available.
So I'm praying that my trip is easy and that
(56:27):
the universe leads me to things that are going to
make beautiful pieces that we can.
Speaker 1 (56:31):
All that's fat and how long will you be in China?
A week?
Speaker 19 (56:35):
And then when I get home, we get into May
and my favorite holiday of the year Mother's Day.
Speaker 1 (56:41):
So something special for Mother's.
Speaker 8 (56:43):
That last year was the Rose.
Speaker 19 (56:45):
Yes, well Rose was supposed to be a Mother's Day piece,
but it didn't come to Rose Day, which was a
month late. Okay, yeah, yeah, so it was intended for
Mother's Day. Okay, piece is doing so well, so now
the vote is available.
Speaker 1 (56:57):
Oh it's gorgeous.
Speaker 19 (56:59):
Yeah, we'll get there and get your code up there
because for Mother's Day.
Speaker 1 (57:03):
Road would be a beautiful piece for you to get
it and are doing You're doing something special for Mother's Day.
Speaker 21 (57:07):
I'm going to do roads.
Speaker 19 (57:08):
Yeah, and I'm gonna do Carson and Jacob, who are
my children, They're gonna come visit me, so they're going
to be home for Mother's Day and we might get
tattoos together. We say we're going to do it every year.
But anyhow, so glad to tell you I haven't shared
at all about these pieces. And thank you for asking,
and thank you for your support and your love.
Speaker 1 (57:25):
No, absolutely, I think this information should be a sneak
peek for my bud Life subscribers if were to be
Life subscribers only.
Speaker 19 (57:33):
Maybe Yeah, well we can work on something like that
for sure.
Speaker 8 (57:37):
All right, I do that.
Speaker 19 (57:38):
We'll figure out the master Italian minds are going to
get together.
Speaker 1 (57:42):
And what I have to tell you it is truly
been an honor and a privilege putting together the two
part series. And as we wrap it up, before we go,
(58:05):
I want to leave you with the words of someone
who helped delay the groundwork for California's legal cannabis industry,
Laurie Ajax. California's first cannabises are in this clip, recorded
shortly after her appointment in twenty sixteen at the first
ever Cannabis Film Festival in Palm Springs. Laurie reflects on
her early impressions of what she called a magical plant.
(58:30):
This is a reminder as we close, of this shared respect, responsibility,
and hope this plant represents.
Speaker 21 (58:42):
So I'm going to tell you one last story. Okay,
so early on up in Humboldt County, didn't know anything.
Somebody came up to me, a gentleman and said, Laurie,
do you know cannabis is a magic plant?
Speaker 8 (58:58):
And of course at.
Speaker 21 (58:59):
That time, like what like I I didn't know that.
I said no, and he said it is. And he
told me all about the properties of the cannabis plant
and said it's helped so many people.
Speaker 8 (59:13):
It's really up to you to.
Speaker 21 (59:15):
Make sure we honor it and respect it as a
magic plant. I don't know at that moment in time,
I truly understood what he was trying to convey to me.
But over these last couple of years, I'm going to
tell you it means a lot to me. That moment
in time, I go back and think it is magic, right,
(59:39):
but not just because it's helped heal people. But look
at all of us together in this room. Look at
all the different people it's brought together to the table.
Look at how it's changed all of our lives. I'm
gonna tell you, I don't consume cannabis, but it's changed
my life and I think it's probably changed all your life.
(01:00:02):
So yeah, I think it's magic. Thank you very much,
and have a wonderful weekend.
Welcome to Just Say Now, where we shine a light
on cannabis with clarity, curiosity, and a commitment to credible conversation.
I'm your host, Maria Calabrese, and you're listening live on
KCAA Radio ten fifty am, one of six point five FM,
or wherever you listen to your podcast. Hey question, Oh
(00:34):
was it who said, if you want a thing done well,
get a couple of old broads to do it. Yep,
it was Betty Davis. And while she wasn't talking about cannabis,
let's be honest, she might as well have been. Very
easily could have been, because, as we're about to hear,
(00:57):
women are not just participating in this industry, they're transforming
it with vision, with courage, and with a whole lot
of grit. So this is part two of our special
two part series on women in Cannabis. If you joined
us last week or caught part one, you heard first
(01:21):
hand stories from trailblazing women about what it was like
to work in cannabis before legalization, the stigma they faced,
and how they navigated conversations with family about studying or
working in this emergent field. And today we're taking a
deeper look at the broader systems, policies, and power dynamics
(01:44):
that shape who succeeds in cannabis and who continues to
be left behind. Twenty nineteen, there was so much hope.
Women made up thirty seven percent of the cannabis execs
today eight just over twenty three percent are women and
(02:05):
women of color even less. Long Hey, we'll hear from
the UCLA Cantaclub panel with insights from leaders working at
the intersection of advocacy, research and representation. We're gonna shine
(02:26):
a light on why it is so critical for women,
especially women of color, to be at the forefront of
cannabis or any science, policy and product development. Later in
the show, our product spotlight features trailblazer and designed visionary
Doreen Sullivan, founder of My bud Vas, and her beautifully
(02:51):
crafted Mermaid bong vase. This bomb, made of artisanal glass,
doubles as a vow. I'm going to throw to a
video clip where Doreen shares her story and how she's
changing the face of cannabis accessories, one elegant piece at
a time. We're also going to dive into our consumer
(03:12):
tips and Insights segment with the Ladies of Mary Jane University,
as we explore how to find a cannabis doctor and
what questions to ask so you can feel confident, safe
and support it on your wellness journey. Now, the purpose
of today's show is to give you not just awareness,
but the tools, tools to advocate if you wish, tools
(03:34):
to support equity driven in women led businesses, tools to
just change the conversation, because together we have the power
to change the way the world sees green and that
includes how the world sees women in green. Stah sit that, relax,
(03:57):
and get ready to get smarter with some of the
smartest minds in the industry.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
By twenty twenty, Bank of America and Merrill Lynch estimate
that will grow to thirty five billion dollars, and many
experts believe it could eventually reach two hundred billion dollars
each and every year.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
On discut I can't see so much fun.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
Your morosic, you mos.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
I'm a butterfly who is gonna begone.
Speaker 5 (04:53):
Taking me a while to get it, had to live
and cry, to appreciate your life and what you give it.
When you hold an when you hold me so close,
someone better and under your skin. I want to leave
a mic so that I can be sure that's you,
and then the wise.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Before we dive deeper into today's second part of our
two part series on women in Cannabis, I want to
take you back to where this conversation began. On the
campus of UCLA. Just after adult use legalization in California,
a group of forward thinking students launched what became the
(05:36):
first student led cannabis organization in the country, UCLA Canna Club.
Their mission to educate students on the science, policy, and
career opportunities emerging in cannabis and to normalize the conversation
around it, long before it was even beginning to become
(05:56):
considered mainstream. At the helm of this groundbreaking initiative was Mahahack,
co founder of the UCLA Canon Club, who went on
and moderate a really truly powerful panel titled Womeny Cannabis.
Brought together such an inspiring and diverse group of pioneers,
each of them reshaping the narrative of what women and
(06:20):
weed who really look like. We'll hear from Ophelia Chung,
founder of Potstock Images, doctor Brandy Cross, PhD, founder of
the Pot Lab, and Felicia Carba Hall community organizer and
founder of High Felicia. Hey, let's bring Maha and this
incredible panel in as they discuss equity, science and representation,
(06:44):
what it takes to build a cannabis industry. It's going
to work for all of us.
Speaker 6 (06:52):
We especially at Canna Club, who we are very aware
of the social equity program in LA. We've had Cat
Packer come in a couple times speak to us about it.
I would like to hear your guys' take on that
and why we need it, why is it so important,
and what students should know about it.
Speaker 7 (07:12):
So I'm going to try to kind of tie into
the narrative since we're talking about our various communities. So
I'm Afro Indigenous in case you couldn't tell, you usually can't.
So that means I'm black, and I'm North American Indian.
I'm a choked on nation, although I'm registered as Dinner
or Navajo. In our communities, we are up against a
(07:33):
lot of things because cannabis means jail time, Cannabis means
the cops will kill you. Cannabis means a lot more
severe penalties. And this goes into Latino communities as well,
because anyone knows those are indigenous people as well.
Speaker 8 (07:48):
And it's not.
Speaker 7 (07:50):
Latinos that necessarily passes white that are being murdered by
the police.
Speaker 8 (07:54):
Let's just say so Europe against a lot of things.
Speaker 7 (07:56):
Even if people believe and grandma keeps the secret plant
in the closet that you don't know about, or that
bottle of something that she gives you when you're really sick,
and the same with black grandmas too.
Speaker 8 (08:05):
They do it too.
Speaker 7 (08:06):
They hide it because all they know is you could
go to jail, and even if they believe in the
medicinal powers, it's like, well it might heal you, but
you might die. So you know, it's this life or
death gamble and it has been in our communities for
a long time. So as a black person, I go
back to the history of bringing back slavery and bringing seed.
(08:26):
Here people's teeth were pulled out for saying the word daga,
which is in different African dialects means cannabis plant.
Speaker 8 (08:33):
They actually remove their teeth. So these things.
Speaker 7 (08:37):
Fall into this modern history where we have black, Latino
and Indigenous people kind of being held back by the
quote unquote legalization efforts. So the social equity bills are
really important. A lot of the licensing, and I've read
all the dialogue, and one thing I had a problem
with is you have to give up your indigenous federal
(08:58):
rights for this license. Why I give up federal indigenous
rights on my own land?
Speaker 8 (09:05):
Excuse me?
Speaker 7 (09:06):
Where my other ancestors built for free to have a
rokie dokey license that I'm paying ten thousand and up
a year to have. When nobody's making that kind of
money that cares about their patients, nobody's making that kind
of money, who labels correctly, nobody's making that kind of
(09:27):
money without oppressing someone else.
Speaker 8 (09:30):
So I have a lot of issues with the way Prop.
Speaker 7 (09:32):
Sixty five was written, because sorry sixty four sixty five,
because Prop two fifteen could have been cleaned up a
lot better. Patient advocacy groups were really against it, and
a lot of community groups were against it because it
took away the right for patients to cultivate for themselves,
(09:52):
and it took away their groups, their cooperatives where people
like us we get together and say, oh, hey, we
have this garage and we're gonna grow twenty plants. We're
gonna split them between us, and then we're gonna have
this medicine for a year.
Speaker 8 (10:04):
So there's a lot of problematic things.
Speaker 7 (10:06):
So the social equity programs are the only way to
kind of bring back free cannabis, giveaway farms, cooperative farms,
and you know, low cost medicine for people who are
truly sick, because being sick costs a lot of money.
If everyone wants to have capitalism, which I personally don't,
but if we're gonna live in capitalism, everything costs money.
(10:27):
And so with nowhere to donate to and know where
to give away cannabis, we're really hurting the patients while
we're rewarding recreational users.
Speaker 8 (10:36):
That's just my opinion.
Speaker 6 (10:38):
So on that note, gender equity is also a topic
that's floating around in the cannabis industry. There's articles that
we're seeing countless times on like within this industry that oh,
female executives are rising, the percentage, the rate it's rising.
Oh my gosh, cannabis industry best for women. So I
(10:59):
did a bit of research. I checked out some stats.
While that may be true on some levels.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
It's it was reported that there.
Speaker 6 (11:09):
Was an almost ten percent decrease from twenty fifteen to
twenty seventeen the rate of female executives in the cannabis industry.
So I'll tell you guys some exact stats right now.
This is about six hundred people sided from mjbisdaily. Thirty
six percent of executives were women in the cannabis industry
in twenty fifteen, twenty six point nine percent in twenty seventeen.
(11:34):
So that's that's a significant drop in my opinion. And
when we are considering female minority executives in the industry,
they're they're even lower than that.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
They are at five point three percent.
Speaker 6 (11:51):
And like, something that comes into my head is hopefully
social equity changes that hopefully we could see more see
more female minority executives and kind of stop it from dropping,
because it is it is.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
It is on a decline. So when you hear.
Speaker 6 (12:09):
That, oh, the industry is being paved for women, it is.
But you know, there's also issues that we got to,
you know, take into account.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
So how are some ways we could address that drop? How?
What what do you think happened? Why did that drop happen?
Speaker 9 (12:25):
Didn't you think to drop happened with licensing? Yeah, because
if you can't get a license, you don't have a company.
So most of the small, tiny, tiny, little craft were women,
and so with licensing and a cost, supplies dropped.
Speaker 10 (12:40):
You would ask in your first question when we were
talking about social equity and it's relevance in the conversation
and what students can do, I just wanted to touch
on it a little bit more because if we look
at it, like I always remember in my day, it
was called affirmative action. So we know that affirmative action
has been ruled and constitutional. So we're just trying to
(13:01):
figure out solutions and how do we create this equal, fair,
and just cannabis industry, Like this is a new industry.
Speaker 8 (13:10):
We have an opportunity.
Speaker 10 (13:12):
As women, as people of color, as just people in
general who want to support and foster this idea that
women are half of the population. So if we're half
of the population, that should be reflective. So in terms
of as students, you're gonna have to dig a little
bit deeper. You're gonna have to fight a lot harder,
especially if you're a female, just because we oftentimes don't
(13:34):
get that recognition. And one of the to touch on
what Ophelia said in terms of not having the resources,
it's not having the resources, and then women of color
in particular like dude, nobody visits us in jail, you know,
like having to remind people, like people don't visit women
in jail. And this is still federally illegal. So even
if you were to go through certain licensing fees and
(13:57):
do all of the things that you necessarily have to do,
this is ill federally illegal. So I would imagine that
some moms, some other people when they were deciding what
they wanted to do when they grew up, having a cannabis.
Speaker 8 (14:10):
Business isn't one of those things.
Speaker 10 (14:12):
So that's why it's going to be really important that
all of you young people in here who have interest
in this conversation that number one, you support each other,
because that's oftentimes you don't see that, and that's such
a necessity that you support each other because well, all
we have is each other, especially in the cannabis industry
when it comes to some of the male domination that
(14:35):
we're currently seeing, and then with that it goes their values.
Speaker 8 (14:40):
So if we're gonna deal with.
Speaker 10 (14:42):
The sex is, classes, racesm misogyny, and all of these
things that we're trying to eradicate from the conversation, all
of you ladies who are sitting here with us and
you gentlemen as well, because we're gonna need those strong
eye allies who know how to step up and then
remember to step back though, guys, because we've been having
issues with that. But that's that's something different. But in
(15:07):
terms of I mean, that's what we're gonna have to
do to have a equal, fair and just cannabis industry
is all of you guys are gonna have to just
be aware that there's going to be a lot of work.
There's a lot of money for some people, but for
many of us, especially women, it's going to be a
lot of work. It's digging in deep. It's that's my
sister right there. How can I help you? That's my
(15:29):
sister right there? How can I help you? And being
like sincere.
Speaker 6 (15:34):
Definitely well on so on the topic of bringing more
to female minorities. So STEM education, as mentioned earlier, we
can connect cannabis with research. So STEM education is already
kind of picking its way up with minority communities. It's
still lacking and it's something that you know, we got
(15:55):
to work on. So, uh, doctor Brandy, how would you
how like how important do you think that women of
color need to be represented within the STEM community as
well as a cannabis research community.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Are there.
Speaker 6 (16:10):
Are they being represented enough? I don't think so, but
I'd love to hear from you about you.
Speaker 8 (16:16):
Never heard of me, so that answers to your question.
Speaker 7 (16:21):
There's a reason, and it's a lot of male, white,
male dominant strong arming. I don't know how many times
I'm going to argue with the janitor.
Speaker 8 (16:28):
Over whether or not to use gasoline.
Speaker 7 (16:30):
To make cannabis oil, and that you're gonna eat right
As a black woman, people just still look at me.
Speaker 8 (16:37):
Actually, I don't even need these to see.
Speaker 7 (16:38):
I just wear them because you perceive me differently if
I wear them. They're ADHD glasses.
Speaker 8 (16:43):
For using the computer so I can read the computer
more easily.
Speaker 7 (16:46):
But I find that when I wear them, people actually
take me seriously as a PhD in biochemistry and don't
think I'm an artist or a dancer which I like
to dance, or a singer or.
Speaker 8 (16:57):
I mean, there's nothing wrong with these vocations.
Speaker 7 (16:59):
It's interesting that I would be going somewhere with my
stem family at Hopkins or my UCLA stem fam and
we have our little posters and they check everyone and
they be like, yeah, we're going to sell biology conference
and they get to me and they be.
Speaker 8 (17:12):
Like, oh, is this artwork? I'd be like, what's different
about me?
Speaker 7 (17:18):
Like, there's three people from India, three people who are Chinese,
a Japanese person, three white people, and then you get
to me and suddenly I'm an artist. Right, So representation matters,
but it also matters if you're actually representing where you
came from. And this is I got to say this
to possibly and you minority STEM people here. I grew
(17:40):
up in a blue collar family. I almost said black collar,
A very blue collar family. I mean, my parents are
both ex convicts. They're both convicted for murder. They were
both pardoned. It was in self defense. This is during
the civil rights thing. My mom is Caucasian, but raise
me pro black. So I grew up to fight for
my sisters, learning that all people were my sisters and brothers.
(18:06):
So going into STEM was a funny thing because they
didn't know what the hell I was doing.
Speaker 8 (18:11):
It was kind of like being little Sheldon, right.
Speaker 7 (18:14):
I was just like, oh, this thing, this thing, and
these rockets, and they were like, okay, whatever, but they
offered me unwielded support and just like any poor people would,
I noticed in poor families.
Speaker 8 (18:26):
They're just like, yay go little magic, and they don't
know what the hell I'm talking about.
Speaker 7 (18:29):
They're just like, dude, And I went to school some
of the richest kids in the nation.
Speaker 8 (18:35):
I mean nanny kids. You could tell.
Speaker 7 (18:36):
They just chewed with their mouth open. They wiped their
hands on their pants. You're twenty five, Like, come on,
you really like And I felt bad because I knew,
at least my family might be kind of messed up,
but at least they love me. Like I didn't know
what they were going or if they were going home
in the holidays to anyone, and they had all these
things and everything, and they were what people expect to
(18:56):
be a scientist. They were white, they're male, they were
heterosexual soccer players and you know, either played rugby or
whatever you know rich people do. And they were no
better scientists than I were.
Speaker 8 (19:06):
In fact, like.
Speaker 7 (19:07):
There are like eleventh year students I would say, we're
mostly white guys that were just.
Speaker 8 (19:11):
Like hang it out. And I'm like, really, it must be.
Speaker 7 (19:13):
Nice for it to be that easy, because I was
like crying in my books and like always having to
prove myself. So if you are in a STEM program
and you're a woman, just know you have to be
ten times better. If you're black or indigenous, or if
your skin is darker than a paper bag or even
gets that dark, you're going to be one hundred times better.
(19:34):
And so hold yourself to that standard and nobody will
ever be able to knock you.
Speaker 8 (19:40):
That's not like a pull yourself up by your bootstraps.
Not everybody's able to do that. But if you can't
ask your sisters for help, turn to people and ask
for help. That's something that I had to learn.
Speaker 7 (19:50):
Find your allies, because there's a whole world out there
saying that you can't, and they'll continue to say you
can't even when you're canning like I was in gra
school canning winning awards, and people were still trying to, like,
you know, dig at me. Other grad students would always
be competing with me or whatever, and I ignored it.
Speaker 8 (20:10):
I held my chin up.
Speaker 7 (20:12):
Hey, I sound so corny, and I kept doing one
hundred times better because that's the only way.
Speaker 8 (20:17):
And in our industry, there's absolutely there's like me.
Speaker 7 (20:20):
And like one other PhD in public health. I knew
that I know of there's not many women to begin with.
Most of the dudes are trying to make money. I
saw a very famous lab in the industry posted, oh,
cannabis stops the spread of HIV, and I'm like, oh
my god, that was a monkey study. It's not even true.
Please don't do that.
Speaker 8 (20:38):
Like I'm like freaking out because I care. And I
think that's a difference between women. We're so passionate. I
don't identify just as woman, but as a two spirit person.
I'm so passionate about what I do.
Speaker 7 (20:51):
And I would never try to harm someone in that way,
not even if it made me look smart and good
and made a million dollars which my family could totally use,
you know that, And more focused on remembering where I
came from and helping those students that think, oh, I'm
not rich and I don't fit in, and I'm weird
and I'm queer, and I'm this in my my family's
(21:12):
borrowing money from me, you know, while I'm in college, Like,
you can do it, and you're just gonna have to
do it better, and you're just gonna have to tie
your shoes a little bit tighter, and you have to
get up a little bit more early, and they'll learn
to accept you.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
They'll learn to like it definitely.
Speaker 6 (21:27):
Yeah, you got supporters. We're all here to support each
other at Canna Club.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
That's what we do.
Speaker 6 (21:33):
I have a question for you, Ophelia, So with your
art work with Stockpot Images, what do you think sets
your work apart from other people who are doing the same, Like,
what is your personal flare to your own art?
Speaker 9 (21:50):
Well, stock Pot Images is a stock agency, So I
have two hundred and forty photographers or more, I mean more. Next,
I just signed some on so Sarajevo, but none of
it's my art. So that's completely different than what I
used to do anyhow. So with Stockpot it's a it's
a it's a business model. It's based like Getty or stocksy.
(22:13):
So what I do is I'm the middleman between my
photographers and the client. And what I do is offer
all these images to our clients and we go everything
from seed the sale. We have the largest collection of
strains in the world, ripe flower, dry flower, indoor, outdoor, everything,
So how if there's any of it in there of me,
(22:37):
it's just maybe how I curate the images. But other
than that, Stockpot is a business and there is some
creativity in it, but none of mine is all my photographers,
so and a little bit back yeah, yeah, so, but
going back to a little bit about the people of color.
(22:59):
As an Asian and American, I'm not profiled, right. I
can drive up and down the coast with buckets of
weed and back my car in bins and I've done
that and this go up, go up to five, and
I'm wavings like, hey, how you doing? And he said, oh, look,
it's like a Korean pta mom going up there. And
(23:21):
so for Asian Americans, we're not We have not been
profiled in that way as African Americans and Latinos, and
so for us, we haven't felt the brunt of what
has been happening since the seventies. So for me, my
experience as a person of color is just as an
(23:42):
Asian American. So we do You and I We both
have instances where we've had racist attacks on us, but
we I feel that we are not profiled as heavily
as other minorities. We don't we have, Yeah, we haven't.
I have an advantage that I'm not so not that
(24:05):
I'm taking more seriously or as a woman or anything else,
but I don't have that profile on me exactly.
Speaker 6 (24:10):
Yeah, there's definitely a lot more disparities amongst you know,
black and Hispanic communities compared to other people of color.
And thank you guys so much. Thank you everyone for
showing up, for supporting It's it's been a wild ride
with this cannabis student group. This is something I've always
wanted to do. I'm so glad you guys are all
a part of it. And thank you so much to
(24:32):
these amazing panelists Alicia, Doctor, Brandy, Ophelia, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
They are amazing, amazing, amazing, amazing. And I had the
good pleasure of running into Oh Phil Chong after the event.
Let me let me just share that quick clip with you, guys.
(25:08):
Maria Calibre's here, Greenbey Life. We just heard the most inspiring,
empowering panel. And Ophelia Chong, I mean you are You're
just a trailblazer. You had my attention immediately when you started.
You started the panel with talking about being a mom.
May I share some of it? Who used to back
(25:31):
in the day when we would make fun of people, right? No,
not us who smoked pot the mom who was check
making her kids pee in a cup?
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Yep, that was me.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
And now you've morphed into the mom.
Speaker 8 (25:45):
Who offers them weed.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Oh well, Ophelia, we captured your panel. You were amazing.
Anything you'd like to say about Maha Hawk, who put
the huck, who put this together, and the UCLA Canic Club.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
I'm just so proud of her.
Speaker 9 (26:01):
And I wish we had this when I was younger,
because if I had it when I was younger, and
my mind would have been expanded a lot sooner, not
now later. But I wish we had it too.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
But you know who else wishes your kids?
Speaker 9 (26:16):
I know, well not really because they were one hundred eighteen,
so it wasn't good for them.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Then, No, but they went up. But maybe they wouldn't
have had a pie in a cup. But you're right,
you're right.
Speaker 9 (26:28):
It's still making pan a cup just for a hell
of it.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
That's a good point.
Speaker 9 (26:31):
That's a good point, just a you know, no we
needn test it, but just to making pan.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
But the under eighteen, you're one hundred percent. We're that
kind of family.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Just p in a cup, all right, all right?
Speaker 10 (26:42):
A failure.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Well, it was a great, great conversation. Thank you, thank you.
She's a trip and she shared such wonderful insights about
being against cannabis, being a mom wondering what her kids
were doing with the apples, carving them into a bond,
(27:03):
and she just had great stories. But her evolution from
you know, kind of against it to curious and then
enlightened and now an advocate, it's it's there's nothing like
a cannabis convert. What can I say? So those insights
(27:26):
really remind us the why equity isn't It's not just
an abstract idea. It's about access, fairness, and building a
future that includes everyone, whether it's funding for women owned businesses,
representation in decision making, or mentorship in science. These stories
(27:47):
make one thing clear. Equity is action and we can
all play a part as advocates, consumers and content creators. Media. First,
we have to acknowledge the roadblocks women in cannabis are
still facing and that dip that's happening in the c
(28:08):
suite positions. You know, it's imperative to recognize that these
challenges are amplified on top of it for women of color.
You know, one of the panels said afterwards to me,
we're not just asking for a seat. We're still building
the table with scraps and that really summed it up.
(28:29):
From lack of capital, leadership opportunities, and mentorship, to gender stereotyping,
workplace harassment, exclusion from industry networks, and tokenization. These aren't
just checkboxes, guys. These these they're barriers that shape who
(28:49):
get to lead and who get left behind. You know,
representation in science it isn't just about fairness. It's about outcomes.
It's about making sure the products we're putting out into
the world actually serve the people who are using them
and who need them. When we talk about science and
(29:13):
product development, the stakes are even higher. I mean, who
better to design wellness solutions for women than women From
mental pain and menopause to intimacy and mood. We need
women in lapse, in R and D and on innovation teams,
not just to make products for women, but to make
(29:34):
them better. History has shown us what happens when women
are left out. Of twenty eleven National Institute of Health
study found that only one in four clinical trials considered
sex differences back then, leading to drugs designed for men
that didn't work or even worse cost harm for women.
Speaker 9 (29:55):
Now.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
This underscores the importance of including women in clinical research
to ensure that the medical findings are comprehensive enough to
be applicable to all genders. The underrepresentation of women in
the field of medical research has long been and remains
(30:17):
an issue, but for black and other women of color,
this exclusion has led to even greater health disparities. You know,
black women are forty percent more likely to die from
breast cancer than white women, despite similar incidence rates. This
is an alarming statistic. You know, it's partly due to
(30:40):
their underrepresentation in clinical trials, which results in treatments that
may not be as effective for them. On top of that,
the historical exclusion of women of color for medical research
is perpetuated systemic biases, leading to a lack of understanding
and mists diagnosies of conditions that just disproportionately affect them.
(31:05):
This not only affects individual health outcomes, but it also
undermines the overall efficacy of medical advancements. In the cannabis industry,
where research and product development they're still evolving the inclusion
of diverse perspectives, it's critical. It's crucial. Who better to
(31:27):
understand and address the unique health needs of women of
color than the scientists and researchers who share those experiences.
By opening doors for women of color and cannabis science
and research, we not only foster innovation, but we also
ensure that the benefits of cannabis are accessible and effective
(31:47):
for all communities. And when we include women of all colors,
we get better results. Listen. By way of example, here
here's a wonderful brand. Take four Wellness. It's a top
shelf CBD brand for sexual health. Now, while not women
(32:07):
found it, its male co founders made intentional moves to
build a women led brand focused on cannabis and botanical
products for pleasure and pain relief. In twenty twenty, Michelle Harrington,
a black woman with deep roots in the cannabis industry,
she joined for You as head of Strategic Partnerships. In
(32:31):
that leadership role, she's been instrumental in expanding the brand's
reach and building meaningful collaborations, particularly around educating and empowering
women of color about the benefits of CBD for their
sexual wellness and intimacy. You know, this brand's success proves
(32:54):
that when women lead, and when leadership reflects the full
spectrum of lived experience, we create solutions that are smarter, safer,
and more inclusive. According to McKenzie a mackinney report, companies
in the top quarter for gender diversity on executive teams,
(33:18):
they were twenty five percent twenty five percent more likely
to outperform on profitability. So leaving women out of cannabis
science and leadership, it isn't just inequitable, it's a missed
opportunity for innovation and economic growth. So as we continue
the conversation today, I invite you to think about your role.
(33:38):
Whether you're in the industry or just tuning in, you
have power through your voice, your votes, and the brands
you choose to support. You know, whether it's in formulation,
product testing, dosage design or marketing strategy, we need diverse
(34:00):
minds in the room. When we design with more people
in mind, we serve everyone better. And when we include
women at the table, we don't just build a better
cannabis industry, we build a better future. And this goes
for any industry. But speaking of women leaning the way
(34:21):
in this industry, at our very own greenby Life, we've
always believed in shining the spotlight and celebrating the feminine
power rooted in this plant and in this entire movement.
After all cannabis is a female plant. She eelds, she nurtures,
(34:42):
and she grows stronger when cared for in the right environment,
just like you know, incredible women shaping this industry. Up next,
we're sharing a special quick Hits episode from GBLTV that
shines a light on that very energy women celebrating women
(35:03):
in the cannabis space. It's a short spirited look at
how far we've come, how we continue to lift each
other up, and why honitoring the feminine side of cannabis
matters now more than ever. Let's have a look.
Speaker 11 (35:34):
This is very much celebrated as a female plant and
feminine energy and not Marria John Yeah. Yeah, and its
roots are in compassion and caregiving and as women, we're
kind of programmed to do that. And yeah, I've always
(35:55):
felt that.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
Way within the cannabis industry. What is the biggest obstacle
that you think we as wi men face.
Speaker 8 (36:00):
It's the same thing everywhere.
Speaker 12 (36:01):
It's patriarchate, So we have to deconstruct patriarchate.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
But it's a female plant, so why not.
Speaker 3 (36:07):
We're a nurturing spirit. We're nurturing sex just like the plant.
For the firs time I went into a dispensary.
Speaker 6 (36:13):
I walk in excited, got my fresh new medical card.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
It was just crisp paper.
Speaker 13 (36:19):
I see these two miserable girls well, and like uniforms,
they were scantily clad.
Speaker 6 (36:27):
They were totally uncomfortable, and I'm like, you guys, can't
be doing this.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
And I ended up.
Speaker 6 (36:34):
Working there and managing that dispensary and killing all those wolves.
Speaker 10 (36:39):
Yeah, how do we create this equal, fair, and just
cannabis industry? Like this is a new industry. We have
an opportunity as women, as people of color, as just
people in general who want to support and foster this
idea that women are half of the population. So if
we're half of the population, and that should be reflective,
(37:02):
all we have is each other, especially in the cannabis
industry when it comes to some of the male domination
that we're currently seeing.
Speaker 8 (37:09):
So if we're gonna deal.
Speaker 10 (37:10):
With the sex is classes, race is, misogyny, and all
of these things that we're trying to eradicate from the conversation,
all of you ladies who are sitting here with us,
and you gentlemen as well, all of you guys are
going to have to just be aware that there's going
to be a lot of work. There's a lot of
money for some people, put for many of us, especially women,
(37:34):
it's going to be a lot of work.
Speaker 8 (37:35):
It's digging in deep.
Speaker 10 (37:37):
That's my sister right there. How can I help you?
That's my sister right there. How can I help you?
Speaker 8 (37:42):
And being sincere.
Speaker 13 (37:44):
The fabulous problem I had is there are so many
women in cannabis today.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
So what I.
Speaker 13 (37:49):
Tried to do was create a really great cross section
of all the types.
Speaker 8 (37:54):
Of women involved in the industry.
Speaker 13 (37:55):
And it was a difficult task to try to.
Speaker 8 (37:58):
Narrow it down.
Speaker 13 (37:59):
We have forty women represented in the film. We have
a social responsibility to show that it's possible for women
to come into the space. So Gina Davis says, if
you can see it, you can be it, and I
took that to heart.
Speaker 12 (38:13):
Spend where you want to see your dollars being spent,
Find female dispensaries, use the products that are made by
female companies, or at least equity based companies. You know,
it doesn't have to be, you know, all women all
the time, but that would never actually be the case
because women only own about twenty five twenty six percent
of the companies.
Speaker 1 (38:33):
Anyway, I love that that's on at Greenbee Life dot
Com GBLTV. That's our quick hit series. Hey guys, stick around.
I'm going to be back after a really short break
for our consumer Tips and Inside segment where we'll hear
(38:56):
from the women of Marrying University on how to find
a cannabis doctor. Stay tuned.
Speaker 4 (39:05):
Did you know TC and CBD are just two of
more than one hundred cannabinoids.
Speaker 14 (39:12):
At greenbe Life, you can watch GBL TV with an
evolving slate of original programming.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
I'm going up, up, up from a.
Speaker 14 (39:20):
Diverse group of on air personalities.
Speaker 15 (39:24):
I want my GVLTV, where we cover everything from pets
to wellness compliance, social equity, culinary.
Speaker 14 (39:36):
Arts, sustainability, and much much more. You can learn from
articles on our journal, and you can shop or know
and go for carefully curated, high quality products for a
conscious lifestyle.
Speaker 8 (39:53):
Watch learn shop green Bee Life, Changing the wor the World's.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
Green all Rite and keeping with celebrating the women in
cannabis and oh my god, is it an embarrassment of riches? Here?
Next up, it's time for our Consumer Tips and Insights
(40:21):
segment featuring the wise and witty women of Mary Jane
University on the topic of women's representation and science. If
you've ever wondered how to find a cannabis doctor, well,
what do you even look for? You're not alone for
many people navigating this part of the journey can feel very,
(40:44):
very intimidating, and let's be honest, googling read doctor near
me doesn't exactly give you the guidance or reassurance you need.
So here are a few things to keep in mind
when finding trying to find the right cannabis doctor for you.
Look for legitimacy. Make sure the physician is licensed and
(41:06):
in good standing. That goes for any physician. Bonus points
if they specialize in integrative or cannabinoid medicine and they're
out there. It's also beneficial if they have additional certifications
in cannabis medicine. Seek recommendations, Talk to friends, family, patient
advocacy groups, even butt tenders who have experience with medical cannabis.
(41:29):
Personal referrals I finally lead to the best, best trusted professionals.
Speaker 8 (41:38):
Check the vibe.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
Are they focused on wellness and education or just pushing paperwork?
You know, a good cannabis doctor should take time to
understand your health goals, not rush you through a recommendation
form and come prepared. Okay, bring your medical history of course,
a list of current medications and the symptoms are conditions
(42:00):
you're hoping to treat with cannabis or learn more about
whether you can treat them with cannabis. And know your
state's rules. Every state has different requirements for qualifying conditions,
documentation and the type of recommendation or card you'll need.
And if you're still unsure where to start, platforms like
(42:22):
Leafley leaf for one, one rivera heel they can help
connect you to qualified, patient focused doctors in your area.
We'll have their resources on our show page at greenbeelife
dot com. Now don't just take it from me. Let's
hear from the ladies of Mary Jane University, who I
(42:43):
absolutely adore and I've learned so much from, who know
first hand how powerful it can be to have a
medical professional now important it is in your corner.
Speaker 16 (42:55):
And that's part of why Barbie and I started the
networking group for Cannabis Professionals was because there was a
hunger for disinformation. How I heard that cannabis can help
my kid with ADHD, my nephew, Well, where do.
Speaker 8 (43:10):
I find it?
Speaker 1 (43:11):
As opposed to riddling right right, baby prozac?
Speaker 16 (43:15):
Well, where do I find a doctor?
Speaker 8 (43:17):
Wils Oh?
Speaker 1 (43:18):
Yeah, why do you find a doctor? Can you tell
us some of the kind of heroes about the pediatricians
out there?
Speaker 11 (43:24):
No, Doctor Bonnie Goldstein is one of our favorites.
Speaker 1 (43:27):
Someone we really would love to have on Yes.
Speaker 11 (43:30):
And I have no idea how long her wait list
is these days, which only speaks to the fact that
we need more medical professionals. The time is now. That's
the missing link.
Speaker 1 (43:40):
I understand she stands on the shoulders of her predecessors,
the risk their medical licenses and potentially going to prison.
Speaker 11 (43:47):
Yeah, mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (43:49):
Absolutely, But it's.
Speaker 11 (43:50):
The only way to really help children in a legal
way is to get that doctor recommendation from a physician
like doctor Bonnie Goldstein, which is a different type of
physician than the prop two fifteen doctors where you just
get a five minute interview and you get your doctor's wreck.
This is a full examination. She has extensive knowledge in
(44:13):
the endocannabinoid system. She's a speaker, she's an author, and
we need more doctors to step up.
Speaker 1 (44:19):
Bonnie Goldstein, And where is she located?
Speaker 11 (44:21):
She has several centers. They're called canna centers. Right, Yeah,
I think there's one in Lakewood and out southern California. Yes, yes,
I hope she opens more and recruits more doctors.
Speaker 1 (44:33):
Well, recruits more doctors and teaches them more doctors can feel.
Speaker 11 (44:38):
Safe because cannabis. It's a big thing for people to
who are still against cannabis to say, oh, save the
children from drugs. But I love to say how cannabis
is saving the children. It's really making a huge difference
in children's lives, especially the ones that suffer from severe epilepsy.
(45:01):
There's a form of epilepsy called Gervase syndrome and they
can have three hundred seizures a week. Introduce cannabis in
their system and that drops to ten or less per week.
So you can imagine just the relief that the parents
get and it's natural and there's no side effects. Oh
maybe you giggle and you get hungry. Sign me up
for those side effects.
Speaker 17 (45:22):
So thank god, Thank god for right, right, right, thank
God for organizations like Mary Jane University, because that's a
resource a parent can turn to and it's a safe
resource and it's not threatening.
Speaker 16 (45:34):
We're trying to promote normalization through education.
Speaker 1 (45:40):
Hey, guys. Ah, they are trying to promote normalization through
education and it's very important, and the FDA requires me
to make this disclaimer that whenever medical claims are made,
they have not been evaluated by the FDA, and it's
kind of or CBD has not been evaluated to treat
(46:04):
or cure any type of medical condition. So that's another
episode because the FDA dragging their feet on evaluating the
efficacy is really not helping move the needle forward. And
(46:26):
by the way, there are tens of thousands of studies
out there, so we'll have resources on the show page,
but I had to give us the little disclaimer. So
one name that comes up again and again when we
talk about trusted cannabis doctors is doctor Bonnie Goldstein that
(46:51):
the Ladies of Mary Jane mentioned. She's the founder and
medical director of Canni Centers. Cana Centers also will be
on our resource under our resources on our show page
at Greenbeelife dot com. Cannas Centers is a California based
practice that has health thousands of patients, especially children with
(47:12):
epilepsy and autism. She's helped them find relief through cannabis medicine.
Doctor Goldstein is also the author of a game changing book,
Cannabis's Medicine. It's a go to guide for patients and
healthcare providers. She's a leading voice in cannabinoid science. She's
(47:34):
not only a woman woman of cannabis who's blazing trails
in cannabis education. She's humanizing the patient experience. She's helping
families and individuals reclaim their health with confidence and compassion.
So remember, finding the right cannabis doctor is a personal journey,
but some very very very formable doctors and studies are emerging.
(47:58):
Take your time, ask questions, and insure you feel comfortable
with any doctor you're looking for his approach to your care.
So as we talk about the importance of gender equity
and cannabis in this episode's legal update, it's important to
(48:21):
remember that policy alone doesn't create change. That's what I
want to say, because there's not a whole lot of
legal updates moving the ball forward. But again, it's important
to remember the policy alone doesn't create change. People do,
especially those who push boundaries, challenge outdated norms, and prioritize
(48:43):
patient care. People like doctor Bonnie Goldstein. She's a true
pioneer in the medical cannabis space. You know, her work
alone has helped so many people, particularly children with really
complex conditions, and she's helped them find personalized cannabis therapies
(49:05):
that improve their quality of life. She's a powerful reminder
that when women are included not just as patients, but
as practitioners, researchers, and policy shapers, the outcomes are better,
whether it's shaping how cannabis has prescribed, researched, or understood.
Women like Dr Goldstein proved that inclusion in science and
(49:28):
doctor Brandy Brandy Cross when proof that include when women
are included in science, it isn't just about fairness, it's
about advancing care, improving outcomes, and expanding access. That's why
continuing to fight for equity and licensing, research funding and
(49:50):
healthcare representation. And it isn't just the right thing to do,
it's the smart thing to do. I want to take
a moment to spotlight the evolving legal lands gape when
it comes to social equity and cannabis. Now in California,
local equity programs they've been expanding. We have a whole
(50:10):
episode on social equity just say no episode that you
could get at greenbey life dot com. Or wherever you
listen to podcasts, but the local equity programs here in
our state, California, they've been expanding, including new funding for
technical assistance, grant opportunities, and business incubation. However, many of
(50:35):
these programs they face challenges with rollout and accessibility, but
groups like the Super and OVA Women and the More
the Cannabis Equity Policy Council, they're pushing for accountability, transparency,
(50:55):
and measurable outcomes. Nationally, lawmakers they've introduced federal proposals like
MORE Act the Safe Banking Act, both of which could
improve access for minority owned cannabis businesses, but as of now,
progress is still slow, almost stalled. With the new administration,
(51:18):
it's more important than ever to stay engaged, so vote,
support local cannabis equity coalitions and keep informed because real
change depends on public pressure and participation. When we return,
we're gonna you're gonna want to see our product spotlight,
(51:41):
So stay tuned. We're going to be back after a
very very very short break. Brought to you from Leaf
four to one one.
Speaker 18 (51:50):
Whether you're brand new to cannabis or a longtime user,
we know you have questions and Leaf for one one
is here to help. Leaf for one One is a
nonprofit that provides free or low cost cannabis education through
our nurse guidance services that can answer your health related
questions like the benefits of CBD versus THHC, potential prescription interactions,
and the best ratios for pain, sleep, and anxiety. Get
(52:12):
your questions answered today call us to speak with a
cannabis nurse or visit our website to schedule your call
and find ways to support this much needed public service.
Speaker 1 (52:22):
All right, there are a great resource and you could
catch Catherine Holden, their founder, on Ask the Nurse Are
Ask Nurse episode of Just Say Now. So now it's
time to feature one of the most creative, empowering female
led brands in the space in this week's product spotlight
(52:43):
My bud Vas, founded by the incredible Doreen Sullivan. Doren
has redefined what cannabis accessories can look like, infusing beauty, functionality,
and a strong sense of identity into every my bud
Vas piece. These are stunning vases that double as fully
(53:04):
functional bonds. They're designed for women who want something discreete, elegant, expressive,
and probably their own. I caught up with Doreen at
the fabulous ninety nine High Tide Dispensary in Malibu. And
let's take a look at my conversation where Doreen Short
shares a little about her journey and inspiration for the
(53:26):
incredible Mermaid Bond.
Speaker 19 (53:28):
So you remember when I used to have to hide
the rigs and put them behind your couch or put
them in the closet. Now you don't have to do that.
You can just put a flower in it, turn it around,
and you're out the door anyway. So that's just one
of the features of our products. But we're very honored
to make smoking more beautiful and to be bringing some
creative choices to your cannabis lifestyle.
Speaker 1 (53:49):
And our viewers would.
Speaker 20 (53:50):
Love to know anything new on all Right, Okay, so
since we're here and we're celebrating at ninety nine High Side,
I will tell you that our next election is going
to be.
Speaker 19 (54:01):
Mermaid inspired and we were just talking with Yvonne and
Sam and we're going to launch it here.
Speaker 1 (54:09):
We would love to have you come back.
Speaker 19 (54:10):
And cover it, and we're going to launch it towards
the end of the summer as soon as fingers crossed
it and the Mermaid gets out of the ocean in time.
Her name is going to be Yamaya, and Yamaya is
the goddess of the ocean, and she protects the waters
and the animals of the sea. And I'm so into
this piece that I'm literally flying to China to find
(54:30):
things to go with it, because I just feel it
creating in me.
Speaker 8 (54:35):
This piece.
Speaker 19 (54:35):
I live on the ocean, I look out at the ocean.
I'm the ocean is speaking to me, and I just
really want to make a beautiful piece that is mermaid
and ocean inspired and fingers crossed it.
Speaker 1 (54:47):
All loanks good and you're leaving for China tomorrow morning. Yeah.
Speaker 19 (54:52):
I meaning with product developers, manufacturers, glass companies, I'm trying
to kind of reorg some of the mechan of the
typical bong and then just find decorative pieces, you know,
like in things that inspire me. I want to make
product globally. I don't want to be limited to a
country or a place or a piece. Like everything to
me like this little this is a small bottle brush
(55:17):
flower in Coyote, but like it actually is what inspired
the color of the boll mine. So I obsess over
the details of a product and so I love all
these elements that add to the See.
Speaker 8 (55:30):
It's a feminine trait.
Speaker 1 (55:31):
You talk about that women are exactly exacting. Yes, you
remember that, Dorry, and I've learned so much from me.
So I think women we exact.
Speaker 19 (55:40):
We want the exact right bong with the exact right bowl,
with the exact right flower. Maybe we want the exact
right nails, with the exact right namea.
Speaker 1 (55:48):
With the exact right man. Yeah, that's the man we are.
Speaker 19 (55:52):
So we can't see the exact the men when we're
trying Sorry, we're not trying to male bastional anyhow. I
don't like the exact right man, the exact thing a
man from you would have a boat and pick me
up at the.
Speaker 8 (56:02):
End of the march.
Speaker 1 (56:03):
Okay, anyhow, me on all that.
Speaker 19 (56:07):
So that's kind of part of why I'm sourcing. I mean,
when you go to another country, like so many people today,
they spend all their time looking through a computer to
find what they need. But when you can actually get
out into another country and you can see all that's available.
So I'm praying that my trip is easy and that
(56:27):
the universe leads me to things that are going to
make beautiful pieces that we can.
Speaker 1 (56:31):
All that's fat and how long will you be in China?
A week?
Speaker 19 (56:35):
And then when I get home, we get into May
and my favorite holiday of the year Mother's Day.
Speaker 1 (56:41):
So something special for Mother's.
Speaker 8 (56:43):
That last year was the Rose.
Speaker 19 (56:45):
Yes, well Rose was supposed to be a Mother's Day piece,
but it didn't come to Rose Day, which was a
month late. Okay, yeah, yeah, so it was intended for
Mother's Day. Okay, piece is doing so well, so now
the vote is available.
Speaker 1 (56:57):
Oh it's gorgeous.
Speaker 19 (56:59):
Yeah, we'll get there and get your code up there
because for Mother's Day.
Speaker 1 (57:03):
Road would be a beautiful piece for you to get
it and are doing You're doing something special for Mother's Day.
Speaker 21 (57:07):
I'm going to do roads.
Speaker 19 (57:08):
Yeah, and I'm gonna do Carson and Jacob, who are
my children, They're gonna come visit me, so they're going
to be home for Mother's Day and we might get
tattoos together. We say we're going to do it every year.
But anyhow, so glad to tell you I haven't shared
at all about these pieces. And thank you for asking,
and thank you for your support and your love.
Speaker 1 (57:25):
No, absolutely, I think this information should be a sneak
peek for my bud Life subscribers if were to be
Life subscribers only.
Speaker 19 (57:33):
Maybe Yeah, well we can work on something like that
for sure.
Speaker 8 (57:37):
All right, I do that.
Speaker 19 (57:38):
We'll figure out the master Italian minds are going to
get together.
Speaker 1 (57:42):
And what I have to tell you it is truly
been an honor and a privilege putting together the two
part series. And as we wrap it up, before we go,
(58:05):
I want to leave you with the words of someone
who helped delay the groundwork for California's legal cannabis industry,
Laurie Ajax. California's first cannabises are in this clip, recorded
shortly after her appointment in twenty sixteen at the first
ever Cannabis Film Festival in Palm Springs. Laurie reflects on
her early impressions of what she called a magical plant.
(58:30):
This is a reminder as we close, of this shared respect, responsibility,
and hope this plant represents.
Speaker 21 (58:42):
So I'm going to tell you one last story. Okay,
so early on up in Humboldt County, didn't know anything.
Somebody came up to me, a gentleman and said, Laurie,
do you know cannabis is a magic plant?
Speaker 8 (58:58):
And of course at.
Speaker 21 (58:59):
That time, like what like I I didn't know that.
I said no, and he said it is. And he
told me all about the properties of the cannabis plant
and said it's helped so many people.
Speaker 8 (59:13):
It's really up to you to.
Speaker 21 (59:15):
Make sure we honor it and respect it as a
magic plant. I don't know at that moment in time,
I truly understood what he was trying to convey to me.
But over these last couple of years, I'm going to
tell you it means a lot to me. That moment
in time, I go back and think it is magic, right,
(59:39):
but not just because it's helped heal people. But look
at all of us together in this room. Look at
all the different people it's brought together to the table.
Look at how it's changed all of our lives. I'm
gonna tell you, I don't consume cannabis, but it's changed
my life and I think it's probably changed all your life.
(01:00:02):
So yeah, I think it's magic. Thank you very much,
and have a wonderful weekend.
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