Celebrating Women In Cannabis

This month is Women’s History Month & tomorrow is International Women’s Day so I wanted to take a moment to honor some special women in cannabis. In this edition of Moon High, I’m celebrating the incredible women who are shaping the cannabis industry…from innovative entrepreneurs to fearless advocates, these 16 badass women are breaking barriers, redefining leadership, and pushing the plant forward. Their work is not only transforming the industry but also paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable future. Let’s give them their well-deserved flowers!

Note: there’s so many incredible women in the industry that it was hard to narrow it down to this list. If you think I missed someone awesome, tag them in the comments to give them their flowers!?

p.s. take note of the High on Plants earrings some of these women are wearing! I love it :)

Rose Fulton (She/Her)

Founder & CEO, Sabōt Agency

Sabōt Agency is a performance-driven digital marketing firm specializing in cannabis, consumer packaged goods (CPG), and retail brands. They combine data-driven insights, strategic media buying, and omnichannel expertise to maximize ROI and elevate brand visibility. As the Founder and CEO, Rose brings deep experience from the consumer packaged goods industry, applying proven strategies to drive measurable growth for emerging and established brands in highly regulated markets. She also sits on the Cannabis Media Council, advocating for responsible cannabis advertising and helping to shape the future of media in this evolving industry. Ready to supercharge your brand’s marketing? Connect with her to build something impactful!

Aubrey Amatelli ??

Founder, PayRio

Aubrey Amatelli is shaking things up in the world of payments as the CEO & Founder of PayRio, the first payments provider dedicated exclusively to Cannabis & Alternative Medicines. Her journey began at J.P. Morgan, where she spent over a decade climbing the corporate ladder, eventually becoming an Executive Director of the Technology Commercial Banking group in Silicon Valley. With her fintech expertise, she’s brought a fresh perspective to the cannabis payments world. And as a single mom of three, Aubrey managed to steer PayRio to profitability in less than a year! Her story is a powerful mix of resilience and leadership, especially in an industry where women and female-led businesses often struggle to thrive. Go, Aubrey!

Dina N.

Founder, Grass Goddess Consulting LLC

Dina Nagib is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Grass Goddess Consulting, where they empower dispensaries with data-driven insights. Leveraging strategic partnerships, they help retailers select software, implement it, and analyze data to propel their growth. Dina is passionate about the plant and cannabis as a medicine and utilizes her background in pharmaceuticals to share information about cannabis research through her blog, along with industry insights and updates from events. She loves representing the plant and is always open to chatting about cannabis, software, data and research.

Abigail Balluch

Creator?

Meet Abby, also known as @OfficialCannaMom on Instagram. She began her career in the industry in 2018 and shortly after started her own business with her partner; Canna Brand is where they began advocating on social media to help end the crazy stigmas revolving around cannabis while creating content for other brands. The duo is bringing those west coast vibes and culture over to their peers on the east coast! Their goal is to show people there are parents who provide for their families because of the cannabis plant and that great parents consume this plant too— stigmas don’t define them!

Cami McNeely

Brand Strategist and Social Media Manager, Owner of Lionsbloom

Cami McNeely is an entrepreneur, brand strategist, and advocate dedicated to driving meaningful change through purpose-driven cannabis businesses. With backgrounds in corporate social responsibility, communications and sustainable investing, she transitioned into entrepreneurship to support brands that align with her vision of equity and impact. In 2024, she founded Lionsbloom LLC, a consulting platform that helps emerging cannabis brands grow while uplifting entrepreneurs affected by the War on Drugs. Previously, she supported corporate social responsibility and communications efforts at AYR Wellness and worked in sustainable investing at BlackRock. A Duke University graduate, Cami continues to use brand management as a tool for systemic advocacy and community empowerment.

Isabel D’Angelo

Isabel is a wardrobe stylist, model, muralist, and overall creative who is passionate about working in the cannabis industry. In addition to designing epic sets for musicians and celebs, when she’s back in Los Angeles she works as a brand ambassador for the women owned brand Smoke Show Co .

Nargis Hakimi

Founder, NAR. New York

Nargis Hakimi is the Founder of NAR. New York and Co-Founder of Issa Vibe, two fully licensed cannabis brands taking over New York State. Nargis is of Uzbek descent and was raised with a deep appreciation for Arab, Persian, and Turkish culture. Growing up with a father who sold art, Nargis became a second-generation lover of the craft and ran her own local art studio while raising her two daughters. This appreciation for culture, art, and entrepreneurship has impacted her vision for both brands from a traditional and creative perspective. NAR. was born of Nargis experiencing her own deeply transformative life changes, which required reflection, mindfulness, and regimented self-care, including the use of cannabis. In less than a month since NAR.’s launch, the cannabis wellness brand has debuted in over 20 compliant New York dispensaries, with momentum continuing to build each day.

Mia Tollis

Intention Integration Coach

When she’s not hosting educational workshops on how to safely and effectively integrate psychedelics into one’s life, Mia focuses on creating content to educate on harm reduction. Boasting over 13,000 followers on Instagram, Mia’s passion for cannabis and psychedelics shines through. Mia coaches clients on how to live a more intention-driven life, bringing others around her more bliss and joy. Plus, she’s my wonderful roommate who brings me so much delight! Follow her on Instagram at @lamiamagica

Pam Green

Pam Green is accomplished in the cannabis industry working as an accounting expert, where she combines her financial expertise with a passion for innovation. A lover of jewelry and karaoke, she finds joy in expressing herself creatively. She is dedicated to empowering other women and people in general and spreading love and light in every aspect of her life, even as she navigates the fight with battling breast cancer. ??

Rachelle Gordon

Writer & Editor, Green State

Rachelle Gordon is the Editor of the cannabis publication GreenState. She has been writing about the plant for more than a decade, working with High Times, Beard Bros, MG, and many others. Rachelle is also a Budist critic, having judged competitions like the Emerald Cup, the California State Fair Cannabis Awards, and the Legacy Cup.

Kimberly G.

Marketing Extradorinaire?

Kimberly Gamboa, better known as KG, is a creative powerhouse in the cannabis industry, shaping some of the most recognizable brands through visual storytelling and immersive consumer experiences. With over a decade of experience spanning retail, fashion, art, and event production, she has helped define the identities of industry leaders like Select, Curaleaf, Cake She Hits Different, and Grassroots to name a few. Passionate about the plant and the culture surrounding it, KG is dedicated to finding innovative ways to bring cannabis to the masses through strategic marketing, impactful brand storytelling, and unforgettable consumer touchpoints.

Shannon DeGrooms

Executive Director, This is Jane Project

Shannon is a survivor, writer, activist, and Executive Director of This is Jane Project, a nonprofit organization uplifting the lives of women and non-binary trauma survivors. Under Shannon’s leadership, TIJP has served thousands of Janes, donated more than 150k units of regulated cannabis (medical and adult-use), hosted hundreds of events, and expanded into 4 U.S. cities in just 5 years! Her passion for cannabis and advocacy shows through in her work.

Nichole West

Director of Sales & Marketing, Rockstar Cannabis

Nichole West has over 15 years of experience working in the cannabis industry, having hired over 400 people and trained 1000+ people during her career. I credit my successful career trajectory to Nichole, as she told me to become a publicist back in 2017. At the time, I had no idea what public relations even meant, but Nichole saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself and she led me in the right direction. When she’s not busy mentoring women to become better and stronger leaders, Nichole spends time at home with her cutie pie dog, QP.

Brittany Somerset, Ph.D.

Journalist & Global Drug Policy Analyst

Sara Brittany Somerset, also known as “SB”, started the first cannabis news desk at the United Nations over a decade ago. She is an award-winning reporter whose work has been published in various outlets around the world. Her passion for highlighting women in the industry shows through her informative articles that are full of hard hitting truths. She recently included my brand, High on Plants , in a Cannabis & Tech Today feature and I am so grateful. Thanks, SB, for all you do for the industry!?

Olivia C.

Founder, OCM Digital Marketing

Olivia is the owner of OCM Digital Marketing, an agency focused on Meta Ads for the cannabis space and the Podcast Host and Founder of Women in Cannabusiness. She brings over a decade of experience in crafting and executing marketing strategies for both B2C and B2B brands. Having influenced over 50 brands, Olivia focuses on elevating their brand awareness, digital presence, and overall marketing strategy. Olivia is deeply passionate about challenging the stigma surrounding the cannabis industry and lifting up women through empowerment initiatives, particularly through her podcast The Women in Cannabusiness, where she highlights the stories of women in cannabis, fostering community and connection to reshape perceptions and build support across the industry.

Marianne Cursetjee, MBA ????

Founder & CEO, Alibi Cannabis

Alibi, a craft cannabis brand, celebrates true excellence with art, science and a bit of magic. Founded in Oregon and inspired by West Coast cannabis culture, this cannabis company is now expanding across the United States. Marianne started Alibi in 2016 and is a true cannabis pioneer! At Alibi, she developed the business strategy, operations, commercialization, systems and processes and scale to deliver impressive revenue growth. Talk about impressive! Speaking of impressive, look at how GORGEOUS Alibi’s packaging is… it’s a true work of art!

Hope you enjoyed reading about some incredible women in the industry. Take a moment to connect with them and follow their businesses if you’re feeling supportive. Thanks for tuning into this special edition of Moon High!

Stay High,

Alice Moon

~~~~~

P.S. I am on the hunt for my next role! Know a company that could benefit from my communications and marketing skills? I’d appreciate a tag or a connection! I am open to in-house, agency, or freelance work at this time. I have 7 years of experience working in public relations, 14 years in cannabis, 13 years in social media, and 4 years in influencer marketing. Let me help your brand gain more visibility while experiencing an increase in revenue. Let's talk!