celebrating women and cannabis
trends, resources, events, women in the industry, giving back, and top products for women
Women & Cannabis Connection
In contemporary pop-culture, representation of women in cannabis ranges from occasional flashes of Rihanna accessorizing a joint (probably a Miss Grass mini), to some of our favorite tv series and film characters avidly smoking. But unfortunately, Hollywood and mainstream media have done little justice to show the true and growing relationship between women and cannabis today. With the stigmatization surrounding cannabis slowly fading, room is made for the re-education of it’s holistic benefits for the lived experience of women. As Women’s Month approaches, we aim to lay out an up-to-date and authentic expression of how this plant serves women especially, on a day-to-day basis.
In Mind
For decades, the mental health epidemic has loomed heavy within the US- with one in five women suffering from mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression and PTSD, according to the U.S Office on Women’s Health. Now with the added strain of the global pandemic, the urgency for aid and relief from mental health related symptoms has risen to an alarmingly high rate amongst women. The ongoing pandemic has caused a societal push for awareness around managing stress and seeking professional help.
The world of psychology is undergoing a shift in the growing therapy and treatment related to nervous system dysregulation. Simply explained; our body is made up of neural networks, and when one experiences any degree of trauma, parts of our network fire in overdrive while others shut down completely. Thus, causing dysregulation from our regulated state of being. Severe symptoms of nervous system dysregulation include insomnia, appetite/digestive issues, migraine headaches, brain fog, muscle tension and low libido. Cognitive functions are also impaired which influences behavior and decision making. All then contributing to the emotional distress of an individual. Read more…
Miss Grass Dishes on Women and Weed
Empower Women, Period.
Smashing the Grass Ceiling: An Interview with Katie McWilliams of Jetty Extracts
by Shelby Huffaker
Cannabis & Menopause
Cannabis Products for Women
Yummi Karma Mood Magic
Boosts mood and promotes uterine health.
High Gorgeous Plain Jane Tincture
Non-psychoactive that helps your mind, body & soul.
Miss Grass All Times
Versatile, up-for-anything smoke that goes with the flow and makes everything sweeter.
Kikoko Sensualitea Tea
Low amounts of THC induce a sense of euphoria.
Mindset Organics Love Colitas
Brings you a punch of creative energy.
Jetty Extracts
Setting industry standards for medicinal cannabis extracts and more
Women-Owned Cannabis Brands
Uplifting Women through Giving
Begins 3/8 (International Women’s Day)
Yummi Karma is a sister-owned cannabis manufacturer offering THC and CBD tinctures, topicals, and concentrates. Owners Krystal and Chelsea Kitahara opened Yummi Karma as the first California state-licensed cannabis manufacturer in Orange County. In 2021, Yummi Karma started the Empower Women, Period initiative, wherein they teamed up with Torrey Pines Holistic Dispensary to collect feminine hygiene products for the Women’s Relief Center in San Diego.
Donations will be accepted beginning March 8th through the 22nd in collaboration with Serving People in Need (SPIN) Orange County through local participating retailers. Torrey Pines is proud to partner on the Empower Women, Period program and will be accepting donations throughout the month and will also offer 25% off all Yummi Karma and High Gorgeous products for customers who donate.
Miss Grass – Women’s Prison Association 3/15 – 3/31
FOR WOMEN, BY WOMEN, IN SUPPORT OF WOMEN
From March 15 to 31 and in honor of Women’s Month, Miss Grass is donating $1 from every purchase of Miss Grass Minis & Flower to the Women’s Prison Association. About The Women’s Prison Association: For almost 200 years, the WPA has empowered women to redefine their lives in the face of injustice and incarceration. With community-based solutions, WPA works to address the challenges that lead to arrest, while providing resources that support women as they reintegrate into life post-incarceration. WPA’s services include keeping families together, finding safe, affordable housing, release advocacy—plus emergency support for food, hygiene items, baby supplies, and shelter. WPA believes women are the experts in their own lives—they know what they need; WPA partners with women to secure and sustain meaningful employment, connect them to therapy and support groups, and co-create a vision for their future. Contributions will help support these vital resources and WPA’s ongoing efforts to fight alongside women who have been marginalized by violence, poverty, racial bias, and systems of oppression.
Garcia Hand Picked - Savannah & Karei
Meet Karei Rendon and Savannah Garden from Garcia Hand Picked! Karei and Savannah met in the summer of 2017 when Karei was managing Palm Springs Safe Access and Savannah was a sales manager with PAX Labs. They hit it off immediately (although Karei wouldn’t always buy what Savannah was selling) and stayed in touch throughout career and cannabis industry changes. When Savannah joined Holistic Industries in 2021 who partnered with Garcia Hand Picked and now Royal Key and Suprise Suprise, she shared her excitement with Karei. The stars aligned for Karei when Savannah spoke about the details of how GHP came to be. The relationship between Trixie and her father, the amazing women behind the brand, and the people involved with making this brand a success in California. The icing on the cake? Being able to work together every day in supportive roles while growing our own expertise in the industry.
Kiva - Kristi Knoblich Palmer
Kristi Knoblich Palmer is cofounder of Kiva Confections. Prior to a career in cannabis, Kristi worked in the fine dining/hospitality industry and co-founded a wedding photography business. Taking what she knows from the customer services industry, Kristi is the driving force behind Kiva’s customer service philosophy and has created and applied best practices in sales, distribution and marketing to cannabis operations. Kiva serves six states with its premium edibles, as well as provides category leaders in other verticals through its California distribution company, Kiva Sales and Service.
Luxely - Ana & Kim
Kim Fabbri | Co-Founder & CEO | Kim holds a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Economics & Management from Cornell University and an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. Prior to business school, Kim spent 4 years in Finance with General Electric and 2 years in Strategy & Operations consulting for Deloitte. After business school, Kim spent over 10 years in brand management for 2 of the largest wine producers in the world, Gallo and The Wine Group. As the Director of Marketing, she launched 15+ profitable SKUs across leading wine brands. She also partnered with premium hotels and specialty wine stores in the US to develop innovative wine concepts. However, like many women, she found herself juggling responsibilities with her career and her family of five. Ultimately, the burden of “trying to do it all” was negatively impacting her health from stress induced ailments to many sleepless nights. She consulted with a naturopath and learned about the medicinal properties of cannabis. Kim’s experience inspired her to help other women with similar stresses and demands with a natural, yet effective remedy.
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Ana West | Co-Founder & President | Focused on sales through strategic growth, Ana graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Florida. After graduation, she started at TracyLocke, a global advertising agency. As Senior Account Executive, she was responsible for creating and executing global marketing and promotional campaigns for Harrah’s Resort & Casino, Transformers, G.I. Joe, Spiderman, Star Wars and Tonka. Overseeing the creation of over 30 television commercials a year, she helped Hasbro maintain its place as the number two toy company in the world. After taking time off to focus on her health, Ana joined Aegis Sciences, a healthcare company specializing in drug compliance testing. As a Regional Sales Manager, she worked with pain management doctors across California. It was there she saw the rise of the opioid crisis firsthand. Between her history of strategic brand development and her experience in healthcare sales, she is now turning her focus on bringing sophisticated brands to the cannabis market and helping others find solutions to life’s stressors in a more natural way.
Kikoko - Shanetta
Shanetta McDonald is a sales and marketing professional with more than 10 years of experience in creating and executing communication and revenue-driving programs in consumer-focused industries. Currently, McDonald serves as the Key Accounts Director for Kikoko, the leading cannabis wellness company for women, overseeing the strategic sales and marketing direction for the brand across the state. McDonald is proud to be a woman of color in the cannabis industry and passionate about smashing the negative perception around cannabis use while shedding light on the historical victimization placed on people of color in the industry.
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Jetty - Katie McWilliams
Graduated from the University of Georgia with a BA in Journalism, Cum Laude, in 2007.
Prior to working in the cannabis industry, Katie worked as Music Director and on air talent for radio stations, KMMT and KRHV in Mammoth Lakes as well as KTKE in Truckee, CA. During that time, she founded a music and event promotion company, Fathead Productions, which raised money for local non-profits.
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Dr. May Brand - Meghan, Amy & Yazmine
Say Hello To…Dr. May! This woman owned and operated a small business providing simple clean cannabis to those who need it. Dr. May is named after the 3 strong women that own and operate the brand which focuses on odorless and flavorless cannabis infused tinctures, topicals and edibles products.
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Meet Meghan Muckenfuss – Founder & Chief Product Developer and the M in Dr. May. Meghan has been in the cannabis industry for over 10 years. She has created award winning cannabis products that are effective, clean, organic and environmentally friendly. She is an expert chef and baker focusing on organic, vegan and gluten free cannabis specialties that taste amazing.
Meet Amy Marie Fairchild. MSCAM, IHP – Director of Brand Partnership and the A in Dr. May. Amy is passionate about plant medicine and holds a Masters in Complementary and Alternative Medicine and an Integrative Health Practitioner Certification. She marries 20+ years of marketing experience with her knowledge of plant medicine and love of holistic modalities.
Meet Yazmine Gingras better known to everyone as Yazi- brand relationship guru & Educator and the Y in Dr. May. Yazi is a prominent figure in the California rap scene and has been working within the cannabis industry for over 10 years and was Dr. May’s first employee over 7 years ago. She is a CBD enthusiast and is committed to educating others on cannabis.