Happy Mother's Day, Smokin' Moms!

It's that time again, Cabana Club - happy Mother's Day!

All around the world, cannabis moms are pushing boundaries and challenging norms surrounding the plant. Some are calling it the canna-mom movement: addressing the negativity surrounding cannabis use, they're connecting women and starting non-judgmental spaces to discuss their own relationships to cannabis, motherhood, and how the two connect in their daily lives. Whether moms use cannabis to help with their ever-growing to-do list, for some wind-down time after their day is done, or just to make their days a bit brighter, the canna-mom movement is varied, diverse, and growing by the day.

At Canna Cabana, we want to acknowledge the mothers who love cannabis of all kinds, from high THC flower to CBD and everything in-between. This year, we smoke to three more canna-moms making waves in cannabis spaces. From advocacy to brand-building to showing us how to cultivate their own greener spaces, these moms are showing their love of the plant loud and proud.

Without further ado, let's get to know superstars Jane West, Bianca Snyder, and Anita Glibota!

Jane West is a powerhouse cannabis entrepreneur, founder of the Jane West brand, and proud daily cannabis user. As one of the most recognizable women in cannabis, and featured by the International Business Times, Fortune Magazine, Newsweek, and Fast Company, she is a leader in the industry with her stylish glassware, accessory, and CBD collections. As said by inc.com, "Jane West isn't in the cannabis business. She's in the empire business."

Follow her on Instagram @thejanewest

 

Hey there, Jane, Happy Mother's Day! You've been in the cannabis game as it has evolved. What was the catalyst for launching Jane West in the first place?

I have loved cannabis for my entire adult life. I believe everyone should have access to a fairly open cannabis market like we have built. Thousands of licensed growers, manufacturers and retailers make up a robust market that grows every year. I can try innovative new edibles, vapes, and topicals every time I visit a cannabis store. There are endless varieties of flower and concentrates to try backed by reliable, rigorous lab testing.  

Cannabis makes me better. I prefer it to alcohol for a night out or a weekend adventure. 

I wanted to build a company built by proud, unapologetic cannabis lovers. We are cultivating a collection of cannabis products for a new era of consumers. Along the way we remain focused on reducing the stigma and creating more confident customers dialing in their preferences. We are designing homegoods and accessories that celebrate the ritual of smoking with beautiful, functional design. All the while we are inspired and motivated by the amazing feedback we get from our fans worldwide - especially moms!. Year after year we push ourselves to deliver the best we can offer

 

How would you say women and moms are shaping the industry in 2022? Where is there room for growth? 

As consumers, women are shaping product offerings and companies are finally tending to the aesthetic of women cannabis consumers. That means sophisticated packaging, clean lines, and enticing color palettes. But in terms of innovation and thought leadership, there are still far too few female CEOs and business owners to be able to have the type of influence in decision making to go deep and truly make a difference in the way women consumers are represented in cannabis.

I wish there were far more women-owned businesses in the space. I crave camaraderie and friendly competition. I do believe women have a different, and highly valuable, set of leadership skills. Cannabis would be better off with more women in the roles of owner and CEO. The plethora of men in the position of CEO and business owner would agree, there is simply no comparison, that role is one of a kind and their decisions shape the sector.  

 

How are you planning to spend your Mother’s Day?

Brunch is one of my favorite meals and despite the crowds, I love going out for Mother's Day instead of being in the kitchen. I love seafood and there are several buffets in town on my hit list.  While there are pitchers of ‘mom-osas’ being served, I prefer to pop a few of my favorite rosin based edibles.  I love living in Colorado and traditionally go on a hike with my boys. The weather this weekend looks beautiful, so that is definitely in the plans.  Then I just want to get cozy on the couch for a few episodes of ‘Bob’s Burgers’, which my whole family loves. 

Do you have a favorite Jane West product sold at Canna Cabana?

I am thrilled with our partnership with Boaz Craft Cannabis and love traveling across Canada. The flower inside our mini joints is grown by true pheno-hunters in environmentally friendly grow pods. I got to visit with Boaz’s joint rolling team in Calgary, where everything is done by hand - hang drying, trimming to curing, each tiny joint hand finished with love. On my recent visit to Toronto, I finally got to see the products on shelves  and there is nothing more you can ask for than to hear first hand from happy customers.  

Hitting Canna Cabana shelves this month are our newest 510 threaded batteries, with a built in dial on the device to adjust the voltage and customize the temperature.  Both new and regular vape cart consumers appreciate being able to literally dial in their experience.  

 

What innovation from Jane West the brand are you most proud of, or what milestone are you most proud of? 

We have brought over 50 products to life.  From our signature travel collection of modern dugouts to our award-winning glassware line, each piece has a special place in my heart.  But none of our products would have become a reality without raising the capital to build my business.

Forging my own path to funding my company is the road less taken that I am most proud of. While I could see my products with perfect clarity in my mind, I had no idea how to get funding for an early stage start-up, and I certainly wasn't prepared for the challenges I would face as  a woman raising money in the volatile cannabis sector.    

After two years of endless meetings, I dove into the world of equity crowdfunding and built a company that is 80% owned by women and people of color. It was incredibly hard work and I learned so much. We now have 3500 investors from 42 counties and every US state and territory. Many of those investors are also regular customers, buying JW cannabis in Day & Night across North America.  

 

Bianca Snyder, known as High Society Mama, is a mom on a mission to normalize the plant. She's the founder of SOCIETY's Plant, a CBD-hemp farm and online retailer that works to de-stigmatize cannabis use. As an avid community builder social media presence, she advocates for moms to be confident in their cannabis consumption and break down barriers, as well as encourages others to amplify the voices of BIPOC women in cannabis spaces.

Follow her on Instagram @highsocietymama

 

A Happy Mother's Day to you, Bianca! What inspired you to begin advocating for cannabis? How did you start?

I worked as a Sales Manager for Wine and Spirits companies for 15 years and I started to get a guilty conscience from pushing sales numbers on alcohol, knowing that alcohol consumption is not good for people. My husband was working in the cannabis space and as I started to learn more I quickly realized I needed to transition from wine to weed.

I created High Society Mama on Instagram, in 2018, as an outlet to share my story as a mother who consumes cannabis and also to inspire other Mothers to explore the plant. Since then, I’ve expanded my reach in the industry by continuing to expand on my personal mission to inspire moms to confidently use cannabis and also started my business as an online retail shop:  SOCIETY’s Plant.

 

What does cannabis mean to your life? 

Cannabis is the calm to my day, the keys to deeper introspection, the release to my shoulder tension and the sprinkle of fun when I hang out with my family or play with my son. The plant has brought me many sighs of relief, a community, improved confidence, and a way to flex my creativity.

When you aren’t advocating or creating content, how does cannabis fit into your daily schedule?

I use cannabis every day in some form. I wake up and drink cannabis coffee and I use cannabis softgels at bedtime. In between those is usually a quick puff of a 1:1 blend of different strains depending on my mood. The exact ratio really depends on how much stress I have and how much I need to focus versus want to smile a bit more. 

 

For all the moms out there looking to start their cannabis journey, do you have any advice? 

For the moms looking to explore cannabis, I recommend picking up the book, Weed Mom: The Canna-Curious Woman's Guide to Healthier Relaxation, Happier Parenting, and Chilling TF Out by Danielle Simone Brand. This book has all the info any mother would need to feel comfortable embarking on the adventures of cannabis!

 

How can mothers be more confident in their choice to use cannabis?

Confidence comes with comfort. We have to be comfortable with using something, in order to be confident with it. Education on cannabis can play an essential role in confidence, because it empowers us with knowledge to overcome potential challenges. 

 

What are you most proud of in your journey with cannabis and advocacy? 

I’m most proud of the supportive community we have built. Our voices reach father when we work together and that is what so many moms in the cannabis industry do, by working together. Our community Instagram page is @highsocietyofmamas!

 

What is next for you? 

We keep building the web of mothers who are confident using cannabis and then all of those Moms get more moms on board and soon enough it will be normal for Moms to consume cannabis. I believe that when cannabis is normalized for Moms, that is when it is normal for all of society. 

 

Anita Glibota is a master cannabis grower, advocate, content creator, and cannabis industry entrepreneur from Kitchener, Ontario. Advocating for legalization, the breaking of barriers for women in the industry, and supporting creators across the country, she shows us how cannabis can be more than about just smoking. Her lush gardens of flower make us all green with envy!

Follow her on Instagram @thats.what.weed.said

 

As a mother, how does cannabis mesh into your daily schedule? What does cannabis mean to you?

I'm a more present parent because of cannabis. Cannabis allows me to be in the moment instead of stuck in my head. I also work in the cannabis industry. I entered the industry with freelance writing, then spent 16 months working with a sales agency, helping to launch 10 different brands into the Ontario market. My office is in our kitchen, next to my garden.

As a mother to 5 teen boys, open lines of communication is important with all subjects and cannabis is no different. Mental wellness is an openly discussed topic in our home and offering fact based information including risks, is an important piece to destigmatizing parenting and cannabis consumption.

You’ve got one healthy garden! What inspired you to start growing your own? What is your favourite part of the growing process?

Thank you! My spouse Matt teases me because I used to say I killed all plants
and now we live in a jungle. Plants were a mystery to me at one time! I didn’t
understand how they grew or why they died when I tried to love them. My
relationship with nature became deeper once I realized that all plants had a
language and they would communicate their needs on their leaves. Cannabis is a mother and she heals & teaches us.

I started to share my growing & healing journey through my blog and social media because the information available seemed very complicated and the landscape was/is male dominated and was intimidating to me. When I get messages from followers who were inspired to grow or learn about cannabis from my content, it energizes me.

Do you have any tips for anyone starting in their cannabis journey?

It's important to find a store location that has budtenders that love their jobs and love cannabis. Retail staff should be able to help navigate options that are available, but ultimately your cannabis journey is one that really demands self reflection and feedback. I always suggest consumers should keep track of their experiences in a notebook. Just like after a harvest, conducting a “lessons learned” analysis will help you better understand what your goals are for your next experience and what works best for your system.

Do you have any Canadian cannabis brands, growers, or strains you want to give a shout out to?

I want to use this opportunity to elevate some amazing women hustling hard in this industry. Last year, women represented only 14% of executives in the Canadian cannabis industry boardrooms (the average in other Canadian industries being between 23-33%).

My demographic (middle aged mothers) buy the most cannabis & the elderly population are the fastest growing market segment, but our interests are not properly represented in this industry at the executive & decision making levels. Women who become mothers often lose career advantage when we have kids. We need more genuine support & mentorship available women and specifically mothers to foster and grow businesses.

Although not all of these business women are mothers, they are mothers of industry and today I celebrate them inclusively. These are just a few of the women I admire & respect (Psst - Also great gift ideas for mom while supporting women owned businesses)!

• Michele Parrotta - Mimi Cannabis - Jewelry & accessories
• Tamara Lilien - Canna Lily Consulting - Educator & industry expert
• Michele Bowbyes- Founder of Pretty Dope Accessories
• Kieley Beaudry - Chief Executive Officer - Parkland Flower Inc - Seeds
• Genevieve Newton, Director of Cultivation at Stewart Farms - infused Bath Bombs

What’s next for you? Do you have anything new or exciting in the works that you want to share with our readers?

Yes! I've been working on a few amazing projects this year!! If women are going to increase our presence on an executive level, we’re going to have to create it for ourselves. In January I launched my company, Weed Said Consulting - I'm currently working with a few brands that are interested in changing how people think about Cannabis through local community engagement and fun meet ups and gatherings. Community is the spirit of cannabis and that's what I want to leverage.

And I've partnered with a manufacturer in Montreal and am preparing to launch my own clothing & home decor brand as well, featuring my own art and graphic designs.

Follow for more information!

Thank you so much for this opportunity to talk about my life as a canna-mom working and growing in this ever changing and exciting industry.