Women's influence in the world of cannabis is flowering, if you will. Publications including The New York Times, Bloomberg, and Fortune have all published articles citing the rise of female support for and involvment in the marijuana industry. Even Fox News announced that "the future is female."
In an article aptly titled “The Grass Ceiling," Time Magazine's Eliana Dockterman describes how women have been directly challenging the traditional cultural perception of pot smokers as “lazy dude[s]." Female characters in the TV shows Broad City and High Maintenance, pot-smoking celebrities like Sarah Silverman and Lady Gaga, and groups like “Marijuana Moms” have helped promote the idea that women from all walks of life can be marijuana enthusiasts. This growing acceptance of women as participants in weed culture has played a crucial role in the legalization movement. In discussing this trend, Dockterman quotes author and weed proponent Cheri Sicard: “Society seems to take notice more when women say it’s okay."
As more women have openly joined the ranks of marijuana customers, there has been a push for greater representation on the supply side. In an article for Newsweek, Gogo Didtz writes in depth about how women are changing the face of the fast-growing marijuana industry. With the spread of legalization, women have been finding and taking advantage of niche opportunities in the pot business. These jobs range from pot farmers to cannabis scientists to edible chefs to lawyers specializing in weed business law. Networking group “Women Grow,” founded by Jane West, has been instrumental in connecting women potrepreneurs and lobbying Congress for legalization and drug reform.
So, “who run the world” of weed? If these trends are any indication, the answer to this question may echo Beyoncé and become “girls!” very soon.