How
women
Took Off
Co-founder Jazmin Hupp lays out the goals of her red-hot organization, and what they’re planning for 2016.
E
ighteen months ago, Jane West see. Our single largest communication stood onstage at the National Canchannel to new women is the popular menabis Industry Association conferdia, so we coordinated the featuring of feence in Denver and announced the formamale role models in over 100 press placetion of a new professional networking orments, including Newsweek’s “Women in ganization, Women Grow, that would emWeed” cover, which declared, “Legal maripower women to stake their claim in the juana could be the first billion-dollar induscannabis industry. I was sitting in the auditry not dominated by men.” ence that day. Since Women Grow launched in 2014, I’d helped guide Women 2.0 from its the cannabis industry has experienced humble start in the Bay Area to events in constant change. New regulations and six countries. This was the organization, laws, increased competition, expanding for women in technology, that Jane modmarkets and emerging consumer groups eled Women Grow after. have all shaped the inJane and I shared a dustry as it exists today. We’re more committed vision of the cannabis Meanwhile, mainstream inindustry as a once-investors are entering the than ever to building an a-lifetime opportunity to market, and power is being inclusive industry led by create a new American consolidated. Big business industry that would be not just women, but people has discovered what we’ve fair and inclusive from known all along: Cannabis of color and others who’ve is for everyone. the very start. We immediately began collaborat- endured relentless social and With large corporate ing on Women Grow. teams waiting in the wings, economic injustices due to our challenge in an exFrom the beginning, our aim was to suppanding legal marketplace the War on Drugs. port a new industry that is to ensure that the indusserves people of all gentry and its products honor ders, colors and ages. In August of 2014, the needs and preferences of diverse con70 women attended the first Women Grow sumers. We have to insist on our right to Signature Networking Event in Denver. choose cannabis products that best serve Since then, Women Grow has expanded our communities; and we have to make to include 30,000 women (and men) who and market those products ourselves. have attended events in 35 cities across Women Grow’s mission remains to the U.S. and Canada on the first Thursday connect, educate and empower the next of each month. generation of cannabis industry leaders. Each chapter offers a supportive enviBut as the industry has expanded, so has ronment designed to inspire newcomers our vision. We’re more committed than evand connect them with established cannaer to building an inclusive industry led by bis professionals. Women Grow also holds not just women, but people of color and welcome parties at four national conferothers who’ve endured relentless social ences to introduce newcomers to our netand economic injustices due to the War work. on Drugs. In many cases, the regulatory Convincing women to join a new indusand financial barriers to enter the industry try requires a combination of role modeling are increasing. Our task now is to empowand access; it’s hard to be what you can’t er diverse individuals to take charge of the
34 www.freedomleaf.com
december 2015