There’s no denying that with cannabis legalization efforts moving forward in various states, the culture and industry have been experiencing a boom. With cannabis still outlawed on the federal level, however, business owners do not have access to traditional resources such as banking and marketing opportunities. Cannabis entrepreneurs are getting creative and marketing via social media, specifically Instagram.
One can’t help but notice that a lot of those making headlines are men, even though the cannabis industry seems female-friendly and progressive. According to a 2019 report from Vangst, a women-led firm that is the largest cannabis staffing company, 38.5% of cannabis employees identify as women, but only 17.6% of these women hold director or executive positions.
Women will continue to make waves in the cannabis industry. With that, SN&R highlights six fierce advocates from a variety of backgrounds who you should follow on Insta.
Adriana Herrera (@adri420_ghc)
Cannabis Finance
Location: Los Angeles
1,354 followers
“Being Latina, it was a tough road of judgments. This is why I love what I do. Changing judgments into education and understanding.”
Herrera has worked in the finance sector of the cannabis industry for more than five years. A mother of two, she advocates for ending the stigma of cannabis use among moms. She told SN&R that she lives with mental illness and used pharmaceutical drugs before, but it hurt her quality of life. She made a conscious decision to become a better mother to her children. With that mindset, she fully embraced medicinal cannabis. She now uses her Insta account @adri420_ghc to display her cannabis (and pin-up) lifestyle, as well as her proud Latina heritage, to talk about mental health and inspire moms to explore the canna-life. When Adriana’s not dabbing, she’s freelancing as a model or makeup artist.
Ganja yoga instructor
Location: Sacramento
1,004 followers
“I have truly loved creating a space for people to be who they are, and it’s been amazing to see the changes in people’s mindsets toward movement and mediation.”
Karns is a neuromuscular therapist, bodywork practitioner and certified ganja yoga instructor in Sacramento. With more than 10 years of experience, she guides her students to stretch and strengthen muscles while passing joints in class (currently on pause due to the coronavirus crisis). SYoga was developed by blending her training in Vinyasa with self-massage and wellness techniques and is further elevated with cannabis and meditation. The philosophy of SYoga is a result of her own journey toward self-awareness. She usually hosts classes on Wednesday and Sunday evenings at Hot Spot Studio on K Street and has a stoned yoga retreat planned this May. Stay tuned to her feed for more details and updates on live stream opportunities from her home to yours.
Self-healing entrepreneur
Location: Los Angeles
39,200 followers
“My intention is ascension as I travel this dimension.”
Jeff is a musician, spiritual advocate and overall Jane of all trades. She is the leader of an emerging renaissance dedicated to elevating consciousness through cannabis education, social awareness and curated community events. On her feed, she shares her journey as a woman using cannabis for self-care and wellness, and posts her own guided meditations.
Jeff is also the founder of Zen & Kush, an elevated lifestyle brand and series of immersive healing events that she curates. Events include guided meditation, tarot readings, exotic dances and more. She’s currently touring the United States and will be in Los Angeles for 4/20. You can find her single “Goddess Code” on Spotify.
Scheri Ruth Mary (@scheriruthmary)
Flow Kana brand representative + cannabis advocate
Location: Sacramento
1,205 followers
“Put color back in cannabis.”
A micro-influencer based in Sacramento, Scheri uses her platform for cannabis advocacy in minority communities, especially with women of color. She’s a brand representative for Flow Kana, a sustainable, sun-grown cannabis brand and creator of the up-and-coming initiative, Put Color Back In Cannabis (@putcolorbackincannabis). Its mission is to highlight minorities within the cannabis industry.
“Having equal opportunities of education, funding and overall support will give all ethnicities—black, white, Native American, Asian and everything in between—the opportunity to succeed across all channels of the industry,” Scheri said.
Cannabis influencer
Location: Los Angeles
12,400 followers
“Peace and blessings.”
Sydni is a cannabis influencer and content creator who uses videos to educate, entertain and enlighten her audience. Formerly a budtender, she is no stranger to the industry and is using that knowledge as a cannabis product specialist and holistic wellness advocate.
Her content includes funny skits about cannabis stereotypes and videos as she elevates. She isn’t afraid to show her bubbly personality. She also shares yoga routines, insight as a plant-based eater and other tidbits of her life on her IG feed and stories.
Tiffani Sharp (@soulsistershakti)
Immigration + cannabis attorney
Location: Sacramento
2,567 followers
“The economic empowerment of women, particularly women of color, is the key to community empowerment.”
Sharp is a licensed attorney who specializes in international law and has spent almost 20 years advocating for the legal, social and economic rights of the underrepresented. She practices cannabis law and has taught classes on growing cannabis indoors for personal use. Sharp is also the founder of WOC Canna, an initiative to provide business opportunities to women of color from communities adversely affected by the criminalization of cannabis. She said that women of color are in the best position to heal communities economically and socially through the emerging commercial marijuana market.
These diverse influencers are shifting cannabis culture and proving that women are a force in the industry. They are demanding equal representation and opportunities, fighting cannabis stigma and using humor and creativity to educate new cannabis users. When it comes to cannabis, women are here to stay and plan on shattering that glass ceiling.
Influencers? my grandmother has more followers. You need to go back and review what an actual influencer is.
Thanks for your comment! There are multiple tiers or sub-categories of influencers with the smallest (nano-influencers) being at 1,000+ followers. We’re proud of these women and what they’re doing in the community and hope to hear big things about them in the future!