Breaking the Grass Ceiling: Elevating Women-Owned Cannabis Brands

Women are an essential part of the ever-changing cannabis industry. Countless female leaders work tirelessly to educate the world about the transformative powers of cannabis and destroy the stigma that has consumed the industry for far too long. 

This Women’s History Month is a perfect time to highlight and celebrate women who have made lasting changes in cannabis. 

These four female leaders are committed to uplifting and helping individuals harness the therapeutic potential of cannabis.

Jackie Cahan

Jackie Cahan emerges as a leading female figure in the cannabis industry. She is spearheading revolutionary changes as the CFO and COO of Peregrade. Peregrade is a Chicago-based financial services company. With a background in accounting and finance, Cahan brings a wealth of expertise to the cannabis sector. She is leveraging her skills to guide companies toward greater profitability by optimizing the supply chain from seed to sale. Her commitment to delivering superior technology that streamlines operations and upholds quality standards makes her a true queen of cannabis.

Cahan’s journey from her role at KPMG, one of the world’s leading professional services firms, to Peregrade Ventures showcases her dedication to driving corporate success and fostering business in the rapidly evolving legal cannabis landscape. With a passion for changing the narrative around cannabis and advocating for women in the industry, Cahan is shaping the future of cannabis entrepreneurship and innovation.

Sabrina Wheeler

This female leader brings plant-powered medicine to new heights. Wheeler, COO of Stone Road, a queer-led flower brand, helps revolutionize cannabis for the new generation of users who want cleaner, more sustainable smoking experiences.

Stone Road’s blissfully natural flower comes from their 57-acre, biodynamic family-run farm in Nevada City, Calif. They produce premium bud for hand-rolled joints with 99% recyclable packaging.

Wheeler’s passion for plant healing makes her a stealth asset to the company as she helped Stone Road launch into five newly legal markets. Those in California, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, Michigan, and New Mexico can discover Stone Road for plant-powered healing.

Lian Bruno

Puff Herbals founder Lian Bruno crafting experiences that foster health, education, and community engagement with her herbal wellness brand. The brand provides herbal blends in various forms for relaxation, energy, pain management, and more. They even have catnip blends. As a trained herbalist with a background in ethnobotany, Bruno believes that working with herbs through smoke can be a vital and legitimate part of a holistic wellness practice.

In 2020, Bruno won the Cosmic Sister Emerging Voices Award, which highlights outstanding individuals in psychedelics and cannabis.

Puff Herbals utilizes organically cultivated herbs from small family herb farms. They are also proud business members of The Floret Coalition. The coalition is an anti-racist collective of small businesses in the cannabis and cannabis-adjacent space supporting and funding equity-oriented actions via monthly donations and social campaigns,. The company is also a member of United Plant Savers, a nonprofit that supports the preservation of native North American medicinal plants.

Jenny Wichman

Founder of Yew Yew, Jenny Wichman strives to normalize cannabis culture and beautify smoke sessions through her modern-designed smokeware. She designs her items—including stash jars, pokers, bongs, ashtrays, grinders, pipes, and bags—to look so nice they can always be displayed.

Wichman is a seasoned prop stylist renowned for crafting captivating still-life compositions. With over five years of experience, she has mastered the art of sourcing props and curating dynamic arrangements, spanning from makeup smears to soft goods and beyond.

She created Yew Yew in 2017 after she realized that cannabis needed a more aesthetically pleasing approach that could spark conversation about its transformative powers and disarm the stigma around it. Through her products, Wichman fosters a community of like-minded stoners, dispelling the stigma around cannabis and sparking joy.

These four female leaders are transforming the cannabis industry, embodying innovation, advocacy, and inclusivity. Their contributions highlight women’s crucial role in reshaping the landscape of cannabis entrepreneurship and promoting holistic wellness.

This Women’s History Month, we celebrate these women and the countless others who continue to inspire, empower, and pave the way for a more diverse, equitable, and vibrant cannabis community.