I have heard a lot of speeches and read a lot of articles that talk about the future of the marijuana industry. I’ve heard many industry leaders say that the marijuana industry has the chance to be a different kind of industry, one that is not hampered by issues that plague other large industries. One thing that I have heard a lot is the need to have minorities and women represented well within marijuana businesses. An article recently released by Marijuana Business Daily found that the marijuana industry has a much higher percentage of women in executive-level positions compared to other industries. Below are excerpts from that article:
Women now make up a sizable – and growing – portion of the executive ranks in the marijuana industry, including 63% of high-level positions at testing labs and nearly 50% of such roles at infused products and processing companies, according to a survey of professionals conducted by Marijuana Business Daily.
Women hold 36% of leadership positions in the entire industry. That’s significantly higher than the 22% average for U.S. companies in general, according to 2014 data from the Pew Research Center. The national figures are pushed lower by heavy male executive representation in industries like commercial banking and the government (which includes the military), according to a 2013 study conducted by the University of Denver’s Colorado Women’s College.
In addition to testing labs, other cannabis sectors are also truly excelling at female representation in the executive ranks, most notably processing and infused product manufacturing, where women hold 48% of key decision-making positions such as owner/founder, chief executive officer and president.
While years ago it was rare to see women in executive roles on the retail side of the industry, they now fill 38% of those positions at dispensaries and recreational stores.
There is still definitely room for these numbers to get even higher. I know so many talented women in this industry that it would be nearly impossible to compile a list. The same is true for marijuana activism. For way too long the marijuana industry treated women like objects, and that still goes on today. However, more and more people are speaking out against using women as sex objects in the marijuana industry, and that’s something that I have always encouraged and will continue to encourage. Woman need to be valued for their brains in the marijuana industry, and not for the way they look.
