A gathering featuring four influential women in the California cannabis industry is bound to have strong ties to the medical marijuana movement. This month, in celebration of Women’s History Month, a female-centric cannabis industry networking group gathered to share smokes, stories, and space within a storybook-style building in Berkeley.
Founded by Leah Cerri, Nor-Cal Women in Cannabis hosts monthly gatherings across Northern California to promote community and celebrate female empowerment. March’s event included a panel of OGs sharing their experiences, challenges, and advice for women in the cannabis field.
RELATED: No permission required: Cannabis leaders speak to the next generation of women
The panel included longtime cannabis activists Debby Goldsberry (who co-founded the Cannabis Action Network and Berkeley Patients Group), Aundre Speciale (owner of the oldest continuously operating dispensary in the nation, the Cannabis Buyers’ Club of Berkeley), Linda Jackson (who helped hundreds of patients receive their medical marijuana recommendations as a nurse with the state’s first cannabis by telemedicine practice), and Lynette Shaw (who faced years of federal prosecution as the founder one of the original dispensaries licensed under Proposition 215, the Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana).
Looking ahead to the upcoming 10-year anniversary of the vote that legalized cannabis for adult use this November, the conversation leaned heavily on the days before, when Californians gained access to cannabis for medical purposes in 1996.
“I’m proud to be a medical patient, a state patient,” Jackson said. “I challenge anybody to try and bother me about it because it’s my medicine as I live and breathe.”
I moderated the conversation, which was held in front of a group of about 60 attendees, and highlighted the importance of community and multi-generational support.
RELATED: Women, cannabis, and a call to action
“We create a quilt that’s much stronger than the individual pieces of fabric, and let’s keep this going because I’m up here on the elder panel, how the bleep did that happen?” Goldsberry said.
“Having these events and bringing people together and creating and maintaining these connections is so important,” Speciale added. “And that’s old school, you know? That’s what we all did before [the cannabis industry] turned into corporations or [being] just run like businesses.”
Speaking in an evangelical tone, Jackson encouraged attendees to rise up for the herb.
“All I can say is do not be afraid,” Jackson said. “Know who you are, why you are, because I’m going to need you. I have a lot of years invested in this. I didn’t do it for naught, so I need you all to continue and make it better than it was. I broke the concrete, curved the dirt, stayed up all night to trim the weed. You don’t have to do all that, but you do have to remember us because it took us for you. Always remember that.
“Always recognize that as you medicate, it’s not a joke thing,” she continued. “It’s a real thing because it makes you feel better every time you enhance yourself with it. You’re the woman that is in control. As you control everything in your life, all around you, control this herb to be the best that it could be and not sell it short.”
RELATED: This brand believes women deserve more from the weed industry
When asked a question about her role models and mentors, Shaw cited Dennis Peron, an activist who led the campaign to legalize cannabis for medical use.
“This is my tribe, you are my godchildren, every single one of you,” Shaw said. “Dennis was my mentor. Jack [Herer] was my mentor. Pebbles [Trippett] was my mentor. And I was like the kind of quiet girl who was taking notes for Dennis. I met everybody and did everything, but Dennis was definitely the guiding light for all of us. He was my greatest inspiration.”
When it came to offering guidance for women in the cannabis industry today, Shaw, Jackson, and Speciale all encouraged women to hire lawyers. Jackson added another piece of sage advice: “always have a lighter.” All in all, the panelists’ conversation recalled a time in California when providing people access to cannabis for medical purposes was a lifetime calling.
“Let’s get together and let’s create a cannabis movement and not only that but a support system for people who are just ready to fuck the world and f*** the police and smoke the weed and do something different,” Goldsberry said.