How women can build a successful business in the cannabis industry

Career

They say numbers don’t lie. Just a quick glance at the latest projections from the legal cannabis market will get any serious entrepreneur eager to launch their venture. In a market estimated to reach a whopping $97.74 billion by 2027, women have a solid chance of making it big. 

Most industries have rigid leadership pipelines, but cannabis remains open to bold new entrants. Though only 8% of cannabis CEOs were women in 2021, nearly half of all staff in this sector are female, a promising sign of change.

Visit cannabizseed.com for top-quality cannabis seeds to get started with your cannabis venture. Read on to find out how you can build a thriving cannabis company today.

Where the money is: Business models that work 

One of the best ways to get started is by finding your cannabis niche. The industry has room for both plant-touching and ancillary companies.

• Seed-to-Sale Businesses: Mainstream cannabis is about cultivation, harvesting, processing, and dispensary bud sales.
• Consumer Products: Makers and labelers are crafting cannabis-infused balms, snacks, and other wellness treats for everyday use.
• Hemp Products: Market watchers expect hemp’s value to climb from $9.4 billion in 2024 to $47.8 billion by 2032, with its fibres now pressed into clothes, shoes, home goods, and even building materials.
• Retail Operations: Dispensaries run by women, especially those that welcome female shoppers and first-timers, are seeing big success.
• Support Services: Anyone with solid know-how can step in to offer legal advice, compliance checks, marketing plans, design work, or tech solutions.

Stories from women who have built cannabis empires 

Marvina Thomas

Marvina Thomas, founder of FourTwenty Collections, began her journey with a bar of healing soap. A former nurse, she now runs multiple cannabis businesses and a nonprofit that supports people recovering from addiction. Her motto: “Walk. If you fall, pause, but keep going.”

Lilach Mazor Power

Lilach Mazor Power, head of Arizona’s Giving Tree Dispensary, worked for free to build her business. She’s proof that taking risks early can create powerful results. Power says, “Done is better than perfect.”

Michelle Hackett

Michelle Hackett joined her father’s cultivation business and helped transform it into a seed-to-sale company. She brought her sister in, creating a woman-led workforce now making up 75% of the team. Hackett credits her growth to being fearless and hands-on.

Rosie Mattio

Rosie Mattio used her experience in food and tech PR to launch MATTIO Communications. Now, it’s one of the biggest cannabis-focused PR firms in the U.S. Her advice: “Own what you know. Cannabis companies want top talent, not just cannabis pros.”

The big business hurdles women face in cannabis

Access to Capital

Women entrepreneurs face steep funding hurdles in the cannabis world. Just like men, banks shy away from offering loans because federal laws haven’t caught up. However, they face extra bias from investors who often doubt their ideas before they can deliver a full pitch.

Bias and Perception

When women get tagged as “just helpers,” they lose access to key tools, networks, and even simple kindness. First comes the task of earning credibility before a single soul will listen. In the long run, carrying that weight wears down their confidence and hurts their motivation.

Legal Complexity and Lack of Mentorship

Many female cannabis business operators struggle to navigate the dynamic maze of cannabis regulations, permits, and daily operations.  This struggle is exacerbated by their limited access to the extensive networks that male peers enjoy. When they can’t try ideas on a small scale, even the slightest error can spark big legal problems.

How to launch a successful cannabis venture as a woman

Research

Identify your strengths and match them to a sector of the cannabis economy. If you love plants, cultivation might be right. If you’re an organizer or educator, an ancillary business could be better.

Understand your state and local laws. Licensing for cannabis shifts from state to state and even town to town, so missing a single requirement can shut you down before you start. Don’t hesitate to bring in a lawyer and keep watch for rule changes.

Branding

Telling your story as a strong woman rising above the industry bias helps consumers care deeply about your mission. This can be the perfect answer to their “why” question that tips them over the fence to do business with your company.

Mentorship

Join and connect with women-centred support groups, such as Women Grow, WEIC, and other coalitions that can help with mentorship and introductions. Community matters in cannabis.

Raising Capital

Look for capital from values-aligned investors. Traditional VCs may overlook women-led businesses, but there are cannabis funds and crowdfunding platforms looking for underrepresented founders.

Launching

Start lean and stay focused. If you’re into cultivation, start with the right seed choice from reputable sellers. For starters, you can find top feminized cannabis seeds for your business on cannabiz Seed.

A small growing setup will help you monitor your growing skills and develop them more closely rather than growing multiple strains  at once.

The future is wide open 

Cannabis is no longer just a space for legacy operators and big corporations. Women are entering every part of the supply chain and changing what leadership looks like. If you’re thinking of joining, start now because the timing has never been better.

Whether you launch with one product or a full-service brand, your voice is needed. Don’t wait until you feel ready. The succeeding women now didn’t wait either.

As Marvina Thomas puts it, “We do it for the people.” In cannabis, your business can heal, lead, and build something bigger than profit alone.