Women are making strides in cannabis, with their influence extending to the highest levels of leadership. According to a 2023 report on diversity, equity and inclusion from MJBizDaily, which covers the legal cannabis industry, women account for about 39% of marijuana executives.
Yet, gains in the C-suite are undercut by a lack of representation elsewhere. Although women comprise about half the marketplace in areas such as marketing and finance, participation diminishes in “plant-touching” roles including cultivation, harvesting and processing. Per the 2023 DEI report, women encompass 27% of cultivation staff and only 10% of executive positions in this area. Female ownership of cannabis companies, meanwhile, slid to 16% in 2023 from 21% two years earlier.
Despite these less-than-favorable national trends, female entrepreneurs in Ohio are actively shaping the fast-growing state marijuana landscape. One of them is Hope Seavers, who formulates gummies and other cannabis products under the banner of her company, A Dose of Hope. Seavers is putting final touches on a website that will launch in mid-March alongside a gummy product available in four flavors.
“Our brand is only limited by the boundaries of what the state (puts) on my creativity – if they’re going to allow me to do it, I’m going to do it,” said Seavers. “I have a daughter, and she sees the steps that I’m taking. She’s very independent, but there are a lot of little girls who don’t have a mom like me.”
Seavers harnessed two decades in the wellness industry and customer relations in co-founding A Dose of Hope. Previously with The Forest - a pioneering Ohio medical dispensary - Seavers started making salves and edibles with the goal of launching her own business.
At the Ohio Cannabis Health & Business Summit in October 2024, Seavers led a panel discussion that championed women in the industry. Among the panelists were Christine Apple, founder of women-owned edibles brand Grön, and Emile Kelleher, vice president of Columbus cannabis processing business Beneleaves.
While acknowledging the ongoing challenges of underrepresentation, the panel highlighted the strides that women are making, said Seavers.
“These women are doing their thing – it is a big deal for me to see them,” she said. “They’re ahead of me in the game, and I just love it. Cannabis in and of itself is not about competition – the spirit of cannabis is to bring us all together.”
A demographic seeking equity
In 2019, the Women in Cannabis Study - conducted by branding executive Jennifer Wheltzel - began compiling interviews of more than 1,500 female and nonbinary industry professionals. Only 11% of respondents perceived the cannabis industry as equitable, pointing to barriers such as sexism, low pay, and difficulty obtaining funding and resources.
Ohio's cannabis industry may present greater opportunities for women compared to established markets, noted Jill Monus, director of sales and marketing at UB GOOD, a Columbus-based cannabis processor that sells vapes and other products to Ohio dispensaries.
“In Ohio, there’s a pretty good mix of people, and I feel like it’s been that way from the beginning,” Monus said. “You get into more mature states, and you have the typical boys club in place. My team happens to be all women, but there are definitely powerful, confident women out there busting their butts every day to do a great job.”
Monus is actively hiring staff across all departments to keep pace with increased deliveries and a product line now offering eight different categories, she said. Previously in software sales, Monus found more satisfaction in marijuana’s potential to address unmet medical needs.
“Cannabis as a plant medicine plays a very important role and fills a gap for a lot of people,” said Monus. “There’s the fun, exciting part (of cannabis), in making new products and getting really innovative. But the flip side of it is witnessing patients saying ‘I’ve tried everything, and nothing helps me like this plant has.’”
Although Monus has consistently encountered a supportive environment, she said accounts of women being overlooked for executive positions by men are common. Ultimately, she envisions increased representation of women-led brands as more female consumers try the plant.
“The cannabis industry has ups and downs, and it’s so regulated,” Monus said. “Knowing you can pick up the phone and call somebody who has experienced the same thing is really powerful.”
Taking down barriers
Cleveland cannabis entrepreneur Ariane Kirkpatrick oversees both the processing and sale of products at Mavuno of Ohio. Following the acquisition of her previous business, Harvest of Ohio, by national cannabis provider Trulieve, Kirkpatrick pivoted her new company, which is named after the Swahili word for harvest, toward a family-owned model. Her sister Amonica Davis assumed the role of chief operating officer. The company is Black-owned and Black-led.
Along with a dispensary in Athens, the Kirkpatrick and her sister are building out retail locations in South Euclid and West 58th Street and Detroit Avenue on Cleveland’s West Side. Kirkpatrick said Mavuno is building a bridge for women, people of color, the economically disadvantaged, and others new to cannabis.
“We’re representing an underrepresented group,” said Kirkpatrick. “We’re providing jobs, and we’re providing community impact. We’re able to be our authentic selves – my whole family has bought into this, and we’re very committed. It’s important for us to take the economic disparity out of our community.”
Kirkpatrick views cannabis as a career opportunity allowing newcomers to rise from customer service to management positions. Mavuno is currently bringing in regional managers, marketing directors and government relations officials– in this effort, Kirkpatrick quotes Bridget “Biddy” Mason, a freed slave who became one of the first prominent landowners in Los Angeles in the mid-19th century.
‘”The open hand is blessed, for it gives in abundance even as it receives,’” said Kirkpatrick. “That’s what we’re doing, in terms of taking down barriers and walls for people wanting to get into the industry.”
