Beard Bros just published a great article by. Rachelle Gordon. that speaks truth to the lie that the cannabis industry is all about equity.
It has very quickly just become another arm of good old American boys culture capitalism.. it’s truly depressing but there you go most people in the know knew that already. Even on the other side of the pacific it hasn’t been hard to deduce
Rachelle writes
Sure it’s true that many industries lack diversity in management, but one may presume a sector focused on the divine feminine energy of the cannabis plant could and should be going above and beyond to ensure there is equal representation from the greenhouse to the board room.
Instead, a frat boy party culture has begun to permeate the legal industry, distracting the narrative from the true potential of plant medicine. A culture where blatant sexism and harassment are commonplace, and testosterone-fueled pissing matches have become more prevalent. A culture, while perhaps a product of our society, is on track to potentially destroy the integrity and passion that generations of legacy operators have built in the shadows. And while sexism in the industry is nothing new, it’s become more visible than ever before thanks in part to legalization.
Nowhere is this more apparent than during “Cannabis Week.”
Last week saw tens of thousands of cannabis industry professionals gather in Las Vegas for MJBizCon, MJUnpacked, and a bevy of after-parties, mixers, and networking events. A city that is arguably one of the most anti-cannabis places in the country despite the fact that possession is legal for adult use; a place where bouncers will 86 you from a club for simply having your Puffco out (I’m looking at you Mandalay Bay).
It’s important to note that virtually zero farmers were able to make it to the event due to organizers moving it from December to October, a time when the majority of cultivators are busy with harvest season. However, the lack of grower presence was not entirely new, since MJBiz generally tends to attract more suits in general. Predominately male ones at that.
To be fair, MJBizCon, the largest cannabis B2B trade show in the game, made a concerted effort to offer a wide mix of female-led programming and networking opportunities. It was a similar story across town at the brand and investor-focused MJUnpacked.
However, the vast majority of people I interviewed noticed a clear lack of female representation on both the trade show floors and at affiliated events (myself included). With the reality of the demographics on full display, many of the women I spoke with reported entering the week with new strategies in order to level the playing field.
Read her full article at. https://beardbrospharms.com/2021/10/cannabis-boys-club/
