A report released by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA, a division of the National Institutes of Health) in 2024 confirmed what many business owners already knew: Women consumers play a huge role in the cannabis industry’s prosperity. According to NIDA data, women ages nineteen to thirty consume more marijuana than men of the same age. What’s more, Monitoring the Future, a survey of substance use behaviors conducted annually since 1975 by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research, discovered more than one in three women in the United States now partake. Combine those data points with Reuters’ revelation that women spend more than men per dispensary transaction and Jointly’s disclosure that females compose 55 percent of those who use its product-rating app, and it should be no surprise manufacturers and retailers are rushing to offer products that target women.
But while more women are partaking and outspending their male counterparts, the business environment tells a different story. A 2023 report found women make up only 39 percent of executive leadership in the industry. The playing field clearly is not level. Nevertheless, female leaders play pivotal roles that have been and will continue to be crucial for the industry’s growth.
Our conversations with women company founders highlighted why members of “the fairer sex” make successful leaders. Common themes among the executives we spoke with include intentionality, ability to pivot based on feedback, humility, and cultivating a positive, empowering work environment. Women in cannabis are smart, focused, and know success comes from building a strong team and sticking to a solid mission while reaching outside themselves to support the greater good.
The industry doles out immense challenges for all players and erects even more barriers for women and minorities. But the women on these pages have mastered the art of turning challenges into opportunities to grow their brands. They are adaptable, empathetic, and dedicated to their visions, and their products resonate with their target audiences to achieve the brand founders’ visions.
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Lo Friesen
Heylo
Washington, Ohio
Lo Friesen, founder, chief executive officer, and chief extractor at Heylo, faced plenty of growing pains and financial strain as she built her product brand. But Heylo had the advantage of splitting revenue streams between retailing products and selling the company’s oil to other companies in the state, freeing up space for Friesen to focus on organic brand-building.
“This allowed us to make sure we were telling our story in the right way and really making our customers happy,” she said.
In an industry with high turnover rates and limited access to funding, Friesen recognizes the importance of cultivating a supportive, sustainable corporate culture that encourages long-term employment. Rather than viewing employees as replaceable cogs in a machine, Heylo management focuses on supporting individual and collective growth.
“We are vigilant about our culture, our values, and making sure the team feels aligned and able to contribute,” she said. “If they are growing and developing, the business is too—and vice versa.”
Friesen’s investments in people set Heylo apart. Customers are loyal to the brand not only because they perceive consistent quality in the company’s vapes and topicals, but also because Heylo maintains a deep connection to the communities it serves. Among the brand’s initiatives is Heylo Sessions, described as a “music-, cannabis-, and community-driven project to elevate the conscious use of cannabis through art.” One recent Sessions event, a sunset cruise across Seattle’s Lake Union, particularly resonated with Heylo’s target market, Friesen said.
“It was so special to be with the community again and hear so much incredible feedback about how long people were waiting for this, how many friends were made during the event, and just being able to support the art community,” she said.
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Liz Rodrigo
CaliLily
California
CaliLily is relatively new to the industry, having debuted in 2024. Founder and CEO Liz Rodrigo launched the brand because she didn’t see herself—and women in general—represented in the market. Rodrigo and her silent partner bonded over similar overwhelming experiences and a shared desire for access to a brand that felt more representative of their needs.
“We saw an opportunity for a brand that would meet female consumers where they are in their lives, speak their language, and attract them with packaging and messaging that allowed them to confidently explore cannabis and integrate it as an ingredient in their lifestyle,” Rodrigo said.
The company was thrust into the many challenges the market faces, including the endless cycle of brands launching amid great fanfare, only to disappear quickly. The reasons for the phenomenon are legend, including California’s volatile, saturated market; accounts-receivable and regulatory obstacles; and a dearth of funding options. But women-owned brands seem particularly susceptible to short life cycles, Rodrigo suggested. She surmounts challenges by heavily investing in relationship-building and not buying into concerns about market oversaturation.
“When you walk down the wine aisle [in a traditional store], there are hundreds of labels you have to choose from,” she said, emphasizing her belief too much choice is not a critical issue. “The more people see me in different places, the more they’re going to realize this isn’t a brand that’s falling by the wayside.”
Intentionality is a big piece of Rodrigo’s brand-building puzzle. Her team went through many what-if scenarios to align all the details about product offerings and ensure sustainability in the company’s direction. The result is an edibles line with globally inspired flavors and a bold, unapologetic attitude boosting female empowerment.
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Melany and Freya Dobson
Hudson Cannabis
New York
Melany and Freya Dobson launched Hudson Cannabis in 2022, following years of operating a New York hemp farm. The sisters are following in their father’s footsteps—with a twist: Where he processed salad greens and delivered them to restaurants, they process weed and deliver it to dispensaries.
The company, which incorporates their brother Ben as a board member, is deeply rooted in family and love for the plant. “There’s something that happens when you’re not corporate,” Freya Dobson said. “It’s not like some random dude came in and said ‘I’m going to run this company.’ It was built from a heart-centric place.”
For the Dobson family and the team they’ve built, the company centers around its “why.” They started with a big question: how to restore a regenerative organic system and bring life back to land that previously was conventionally farmed.
“How we treat the earth is a reflection of how we treat each other,” Freya said of their mission. “I like to think of that as a foundation for our company culture. We’re extending that to all New Yorkers. It’s an extension of our values to bridge this important gap between agriculture and culture through a product that historically has been weaponized and stigmatized and used to put people in prison.”
Melany leads the company as its CEO. While it’s difficult to command respect as a woman in a male-dominated industry, Melany is a fierce leader who came in with a vision from day one. “She’s made herself very respectable through the way she holds herself, how decisive she is, and how she listens, takes feedback, and communicates in a clear, concise, and direct way,” Freya said.
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Sue Taylor
Mama Sue Wellness
California
Sue Taylor’s passion for wellness and the cannabis industry is undeniable. After all, she’s still actively managing and scaling up her business, Mama Sue Wellness, in her late seventies. Last year, she made history as the first Black woman to own and operate a dispensary in Berkeley, California. “I haven’t retired because I love what I do,” she said.
Taylor wants other seniors to experience the same vigor and joie de vivre. Mama Sue products, developed in partnership with the Glass House Group, are aimed at helping seniors escape what she calls “the tyranny of pharmaceuticals.”
A savvy businesswoman, Taylor leaned into her appointment as a member of the California Commission on Aging to get through closed doors in order to speak with Berkeley City Council members about cannabis. She recalled rolling into a meeting wearing a suit and pearls with her background as a former Catholic school principal in her arsenal for persuasion. “After I had won their hearts, I said there’s another matter I’d like to speak to you about—the real reason I’m here,” she recalled. “I want to apply for a dispensary license.”
Since launching her popular wellness brand, Taylor has remained steadfast about her commitment to bettering the lives of the consumers who use her products. She’s equally devoted to the team she leads. “I empower people to be the best they can be, not just for the company but for who they are,” she said. “If they’re taking care and making sure they’re balanced in life, the best version will show up because they’re fulfilled.”
Taylor invests substantial time and energy into reminding the team who they are, why they are where they are, and what skills they bring to their professional and personal lives. Her lifelong devotion to education helps her focus on developing each individual, encouraging them to feel good about the work they do in service to others. “I always ask my people, ‘Do you love what you’re doing?’” Taylor said. “If you’re not doing what you love, you’re missing the ball.”
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Rachel Xin
Juāna
California
Rachel Xin launched Juāna in 2022 knowing exactly in which direction she wanted to see the industry move. “The future of cannabis is going to be female,” she said.
Women-focused and centered on effects, her company’s products lend themselves to intentionality. From “focus” gummies to “arouse” vapes, she and her team developed a line that highlights the variety of ways women use the plant. Additionally, by dividing the company with distinctions between cannabis and hemp, Xin expanded product offerings and revenue streams through textiles and even apothecary candles.
Juāna’s products integrate cannabinoids, adaptogens, and influences from Chinese medicine to create holistic effects. The careful formulation draws in discerning consumers. “As a woman, before I consume anything I look at the back to see the ingredients, calories, and everything that’s going to affect my body,” Xin said. She believes many other women are equally cautious.
Given the challenges attendant upon marketing products in a highly regulated environment, she looks for opportunities to connect with the community and let women know Juāna’s offerings can complement a mindful lifestyle. Through partnerships with local sound baths, yoga studios, and intimate gatherings with food and like-minded individuals, Xin has expanded her brand’s reach outside the industry, as well.
Mirroring the deliberate choices she has made in product development and marketing, Xin leads her team with intention, too. “I’m not a leader who’s trying to micromanage people,” she said. “I respect them, build trust, and coach and mentor them when they need it.”
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Erin Gore
Garden Society
California, New Jersey, Ohio
As founder and CEO of Garden Society, Erin Gore knows all about hiring the right people to do the right things. With her products now available in three states and a team numbering more than seventy people, she’s had to pivot her hiring process to better suit the needs of a rapidly growing brand. Gore focuses on interpersonal skills and personality over resume specifics, because she’s learned what her company needs—and, conversely, would be better off without.
“Are [potential team members] going to ask difficult questions and push back but also be flexible?” she asked. “I need people who are able to see the vision but are okay with the ambiguity.”
The care she expends on selecting quality talent extends into other aspects of the nine-year-old brand, including to those who want to partner with or invest in the business. Gore believes “not all capital is the same,” and she has no trouble saying no when potential investors or partnerships don’t align with her vision.
“We have an incredible group of people who support us because of the company we’re building, the transparency we bring, and the values we have,” she said. “At the end of the day, we remember that we have the privilege to be a cannabis company making products that help people feel better. We’re on the cutting edge of doing something incredible for the community and industry.”
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Breanna Neff
brelixi
California, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania
Breanna Neff launched brelixi in 2023, well before the infused-beverage trend gained steam. Since then, the brand’s rapid-onset THC and CBD drink mixes have become a popular choice across multiple markets.
To overcome the industry’s lack of access to small-business loans and other financial assistance, Neff employed her background in food science to structure her company with a lean operating model that allows not only for management ease but also scalability. Similarly, she developed cost-effective manufacturing and marketing strategies to promote growth while remaining compliant with regulations.
Most of Neff’s marketing efforts rely on word of mouth. Even the company’s name provides an opportunity to tell the brand’s story: brelixi is a portmanteau of “Breanna’s elixirs.” “It was really important to tie in the founder story from the start,” she said. “I’m the food scientist, and I developed everything. People love transparency.”
To maximize the effect of marketing efforts, the company puts itself in front of its target audience where opportunities exist to make one-to-one connections. Neff admits word-of-mouth marketing isn’t the quickest or easiest path to prominence, but after months of hard work and dedication brelixi became a trusted resource for four to six wellness events each month, including events at yoga and pilates studios, acupuncture clinics, and sound-bath spaces. “If they host their own events, they can integrate brelixi at a low cost for them and us,” she said. The events are “an impactful, integral part of our marketing strategy.”
Neff credits much of her success to the team of advisors that came together shortly after she launched the business. Tapped from her personal network, the team has been invaluable in helping her make decisions that move the business in the right direction. She also relies on customer feedback to drive decisions, noting the small size of the business allows the team to adapt and implement changes quickly.
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Rebecca Colett
Calyxeum
Michigan
Detroit-based Calyxeum adds “a female touch to a female plant.” After beginning as a cultivation and processing operation, the brand opened its first dispensary in 2024.
CEO Rebecca Colett has witnessed rapid shifts in the market, complicating budgets and operations. “It’s hard to remain profitable while the market is being flooded [with products],” she said. “You can’t just grow weed and have people buy it like before. Now, we have to produce for our niche, which is more boutique, craft flower. Most of our customer base is women needing help with sleep or other issues.”
After watching colleagues close their businesses or be swept up in consolidations, Colett puts a lot of emphasis on curated, intentional product offerings. The effects-focused brand prioritizes flavor profiles and hard-to-find genetics that are rich in terpenes.
Now leading a team of more than two dozen people, Colett invests in her employees in pursuit of a larger vision. Although sourcing talent can be challenging and time-consuming, she said the extra effort helps maintain the company’s culture and camaraderie. Calyxeum has been able to mitigate some common employer hardships through building a leadership track and fostering a spirit of autonomy among the staff. “If I need a manager, my first instinct is to think about who I can grow that’s already in the organization and can take over that role,” she said.
Despite federal condemnation of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, Colett said Calyxeum champions DEI and intends to stay the course. “I’m trying to walk it like I talk it,” she said. “We’re 95 percent women and minorities. We are showing that it can be done.”
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Sarah O’Leary
Gal Pals Minis
Illinois
As the name suggests, Gal Pals Minis were created with women in mind. The miniature pre-rolls packed in tins resulted from Sarah O’Leary’s wish to bring women together. “I never wanted [the experience] to be solitary,” she said. “I wanted women to be together: gal pals. I wanted to give women permission to have fun with cannabis.”
Having fun and building meaningful relationships is integral to the brand’s personality. O’Leary also owns and operates Wacky Weed Tours of Ann Arbor, which provides guided tours of Michigan’s Tree Town, focusing on cannabis history and local dispensaries. The older business helped her make connections with industry players and get crucial feedback from consumers as she developed Gal Pals Minis. “People created the brand,” she said. “I had a hand in it, but it was all the insights fabulous women gave me that made the brand what it is.”
Feedback from the many women she spoke with led her to develop a key part of the brand: activity cards that are packaged inside the pre-roll tins. Created in response to queries from inexperienced consumers, the cards suggest activities customers can do for fun while they’re high.
One of the biggest challenges for O’Leary is convincing dispensaries her products belong on crowded shelves. Education is key, she said, revealing she regularly informs businesses about the size of the distaff market and explains how offering product choices that appeal to female consumers represents an enormous opportunity for revenue growth. According to O’Leary, men tend to shop for themselves, whereas women more commonly purchase products for themselves and others in their lives. “They’re buying for Aunt Bessie, Cousin Gertrude, and their husband who needs a topical for his knees,” she explained.
Heavily inspired by her old boss Bud Frankel (a gifted marketer who helped launch McDonald’s Happy Meal), O’Leary considers herself a cheerleader, mentor, and instructor for her team. She said her secrets for success are “humility, respect, and hiring the right people to do the right things for you.”
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