Staff- AC Braddock
- Adelia Carrillo
- Alicia Rose Kelley
- Alison Gordon
- Amanda Ostrowitz
- Amanda Soens
- Amber Senter
- Amy Dawn Bourlon-Hilterbran
- Andrea Brooks
- Angelika Penuela-Ruiz
- Ann Lawrence
- Anne Donohoe
- Barbara Blaser
- Beth Stavola
- Betty Aldworth
- Bonita Money
- Brittany Nicholson
- Brooke Westlake
- cannabis
- Cathy Jordan
- Celia Tapp
- Chef Lauren Gockley
- Christina Ianuzzi
- Courtney Maltais
- Dona Frank
- Dr Lakisha Jenkins
- Dr. Chanda Macia
- Dr. Chanda Macias
- Dr. Jacqueline Harding
- Dr. Michele Ross
- Dr. Rachel Knox and Dr. Jessica Knox
- Dr. Uma Dhanabalan
- Ellie Siegel
- Emily Paxhia
- Erica Daniels
- Erin Gore
- Gaynell Rogers
- Gia Moron
- Gretchen Gailey
- Hannah Daphna
- Heather DeRose
- Heather Sobel
- Heidi Groshelle
- Jamie Cooper
- Jamie Evans
- Jasmine Rose Gunderson
- Jennifer Price
- Jessica Billingsley
- Jessica Peters
- Jessie Gill
- Judy Yee
- Julie Chiarello
- Karen Paull and Wendy Robbins
- Karen Petersen
- Kassandra Frederique
- Kat King
- Katie Field
- Katrina Tso
- Katrina Yolen
- Kelly Archer
- Kerri Accardi
- Kim Rivers
- Kristin Jordan
- Kristin Nevedal
- Kyra Reed
- Leah Heis
- Lelehnia DuBois
- Leslie Andrachuk
- Leslie Hoffman
- Libby Cooper
- Linda Marsicano
- Lindy Snyder
- Lizzy Jeff
- Lori Ajax
- Lori Ferrara
- Luna Stower
- Manndie Tingler
- Mara Gordon
- Mary Jane Gibson
- Mary Pryor
- Melissa Mentele
- Michelle Janikian
- Molly Peckler
- Nancy Whiteman
- Ngiste Abebe
- Nikki Lastreto
- Nina Parks
- Nique Pichette
- Ophelia Chong
- Pamela Hadfield
- Pamela Nicole Epstein
- Parisa Rad
- Penny Green
- PhD
- Randi Sether
- Rosie Mattio
- Sandra Castaneda
- Sara Brittany Somerset
- Sara Gullickson
- Sara Payan
- Sarah Mitra Payan
- Sarah Remesch
- Selena Xochitl Martinez
- Shannon Buyers
- Shannon Hattan
- Shannon Reed
- Shawna McGregor
- Sheena Shiravi
- Stormy Simon
- Susan Hwang
- Suzanne Sisley
- Tahira Rehmatullah
- Taylor Blake
- Terra Carver
- Tiffany Bowden
- Tracey Mason
- Trista Okel
- Wanda James
- Wendy kornberg
- Wendy Turner
- Whitney Beatty
- women
- Yvonne DeLaRosa Green
- Yvonne Perez Emerson
In honor of International Women’s Day, we are releasing our annual “Most Important Women in Weed” list for 2020. This list includes women in the industry that have collectively moved the industry forward with all of their hard work, continuous dedication and effort.
This year we opened up the list for nominations and received almost a thousand nominees. After consideration of each, we have developed what we feel is one of the most inclusive and carefully curated lists of the most accomplished and impressive women in the cannabis industry.
As we could not name them all, we would like to thank and celebrate all of the women who have dedicated their precious time to the advancement of cannabis globally.
It is because of each one of these ladies that this industry remains in the lead above all others as far as female leadership is concerned.
This list is in no special order. Each one of these women provide a great contribution to the cannabis industry in their own unique and badass way.
Thank you to every one of you for all that you do!
The “List”
Dr. Chanda Macias
Yvonne DeLaRosa Green
Mara Gordon
Rosie Mattio
Shawna McGregor
Lori Ferrara
Gaynell Rogers
Stormy Simon
Trista Okel
Lori Ajax
Amy Dawn Bourlon-Hilterbran
Kim Rivers
Amanda Soens
Dona Frank
Kat King
Sara Payan
Hannah Daphna
Sandra Castaneda
Erin Gore
Wendy Kornberg
Kristin Nevedal
Wendy Turner
Parisa Rad
Brittany Nicholson
Emily Paxhia
Jessica Billingsley
Gia Moron
Andrea Brooks
Tahira Rehmatullah
Tracey Mason
Lindy Snyder
Jasmine Rose Gunderson
Shannon Hattan
Adelia Carrillo
Karen Petersen
Wanda James
Barbara Blaser
Ophelia Chong
Amanda Ostrowitz
Pamela Nicole Epstein
Melissa Mentele
Jamie Cooper
Sarah Remesch
Jessie Gill
Erica Daniels
Lizzy Jeff
Lelehnia DuBois
Whitney Beatty
Dr. Michele Ross
Manndie Tingler
Chef Lauren Gockley
Kyra Reed
Jamie Evans
Kristin Jordan
Ellie Siegel
Sara Brittany Somerset
Linda Marsicano
Heidi Groshelle
Amber Senter
Nique Pichette
Jennifer Price
Molly Peckler
Bonita Money
Susan Hwang
Judy Yee
Julie Chiarello
Leah Heis
Leslie Andrachuk
Terra Carver
Nancy Whiteman
Luna Stower
Karen Paull and Wendy Robbins
Beth Stavola
Alison Gordon
Penny Green
Sara Gullickson
Dr. Lakisha Jenkins
Pamela Hadfield
Jessica Peters
Dr. Rachel Knox and Dr. Jessica Knox
Tiffany Bowden
Mary Jane Gibson
Michelle Janikian
Dr. Uma Dhanabalan
Taylor Blake
AC Braddock
Kerri Accardi
Heather Sobel
Betty Aldworth
Cathy Jordan
Suzanne Sisley
Nina Parks
Eliza Nova Maroney
Selena Xochitl Martinez
Angelika Penuela-Ruiz
Sarah Mitra Payan
Gretchen Gailey
Nikki Lastreto
Ann Lawrence
Sheena Shiravi
Christina Ianuzzi
Kassandra Frederique
Shannon Buyers
Celia Tapp
Kelly Archer
Katie Field
Randi Sether
Shannon Reed
Katrina Yolen
Ngiste Abebe
Brooke Westlake
Courtney Maltais
Katrina Tso
Anne Don0hoe
Alicia Rose Kelley
Dr. Jacqueline Harding, PhD
Mary Pryor
Dr. Uma Dhabalan
Olivia Mannix
Heather DeRose
Libby Cooper
Leslie Hoffman
Yvonne Perez Emerson
Again, thank you to all of the women who do so much in our industry day in and day out. Your work does not go unnoticed and is deeply appreciated.
Happy International Women’s Day to all women around the world!
Special shout out to our Green Market Report co-founders Debra Borchardt and Cynthia Salarizadeh on this day!
25 comments
Lewis Goldberg
March 6, 2020 at 11:50 am
Where’s Anne Donohoe on this list? She’s the co-host and co-creator of The Green Rush…she manages the KCSA cannabis practice, and is widely recognized as one of the most important PR professionals in the space…
Debra Borchardt
March 6, 2020 at 4:16 pm
We love Anne! She was on the 2019 list. We are just trying to make sure some of the women who were missed last year got on this year.
Sharon Letts
March 6, 2020 at 7:01 pm
I’ve been eight years contributing in the cannabis space full time and have never been this list or any other. Who decides this?
Debra Borchardt
March 9, 2020 at 8:50 am
We opened the list to nominations this year and received over 1,000 names. We looked at people who were nominated more than once, plus size of company if that applied. We also tried to be as diverse as possible. We are a small staff and reviewing 1,000 different stories isn’t easy.
Linda Thompson
June 8, 2020 at 4:02 pm
Love to see our founder – Linda Thompson hit this list next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.cancanbuzz.com
Debra Borchardt
June 8, 2020 at 6:43 pm
We put out a call for nominations on social media.
Margarita
March 6, 2020 at 1:18 pm
I honor as women in cannabis industry to Emily Kyle Nutritionisit she is amazing!
Suzi
March 6, 2020 at 4:22 pm
Dr. Uma Dhabalan (Dr. Uma Dhanabalan) is on here twice and yet the CEO of Charlotte’s Web is missing from this list.
Hobart
March 6, 2020 at 5:57 pm
Great work on the article! I honor Kelly Keiser, founder of Kelly Green. She is helping re-introduce women to cannabis through education and beautiful accessories. @KellyGreenShop
Yvonne Perez Emerson
March 6, 2020 at 7:23 pm
So honored to be a part of this list! Thank you so much!
Kim Stainton
March 7, 2020 at 3:58 am
Where Corrie Yelland? She continues to help thousands of souls giving advise on cannabis oil for health, having cured her own rectal cancer using cannabis x
Debra Borchardt
March 9, 2020 at 8:48 am
We had 1,000 nominations and tried our best to be as inclusive as possible.
janine Bush
March 7, 2020 at 4:48 pm
Dr. Uma is so important she’s on here twice 🙂
Debra Borchardt
March 9, 2020 at 8:51 am
We are run by a very small staff and mistakes happen.
Johnstone johnson
March 9, 2020 at 2:41 am
Forgot Kelly Dunn from Dragonfly Earth Medicine!!!
Brooke M. Westlake
March 11, 2020 at 6:32 pm
I am so honored and humbled to be on this list with other women leaders and entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry! Thank you!
Zeke Edwards
March 11, 2020 at 11:32 pm
Hey there just wanted to point out that Angie’s name is spelt wrong in this article. It is actually spelled Angelika Penuela-Ruiz. Just making sure she gets the credit she deserves. Thanks
Angelika Penuela-Ruiz
March 13, 2020 at 2:47 pm
Appreciate that! I am very much appreciative to be on this list and it is indeed an honor. However its a bit discouraging to see my name is misspelled. My name is Angelika Penuela-Ruiz interesting to get this and not even know its me!
Debra Borchardt
March 16, 2020 at 8:34 am
Hi Angelika,
We are sorry if we misspelled your name. We are a very small organization and try to do the best we can.
Debra
Evan
March 12, 2020 at 11:32 am
I’d add Lindsey Holthaus. She’s the CEO of Plain Jane (https://tryplainjane.com)
Celia Tapp
March 14, 2020 at 2:26 pm
Honored to be included, looking forward to connecting with more of these women and sharing their contributions!
Kathleen Bryan
March 19, 2020 at 2:24 pm
A big shout out to my friend Sandra Castaneda! I’m so happy she made the list. She is a brilliant woman who was not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. Arrested back in the day for doing what millions of people do today legally. Sandra paved the way. She is a tireless activist, grower, educator and pioneer in the field. We love you Sandy!
MARK P
March 20, 2020 at 12:21 pm
Robin Schneider and Lisa Conine have been instrumental in holding our city, state, and federal officials accountable in the State of Michigan and beyond. Their contributions have shaped the movement and industry in Michigan in countless ways!
James S
January 18, 2021 at 3:19 am
It’s amazing to see how many women are leading some of the top CBD brands in the country. Goes to show you when women put their mind to something, they can achieve anything.
Cheers to all these women paving the way and inspiring countless little girls to go after their dreams.
Hemp Shop
April 26, 2022 at 2:29 pm
It’s such s great news to hear to see fellow women getting such amount of of progress and love!