>> EVERYONE WELCOME BACK TO
CHEDDAR THIS WOMEN'S HISTORY
MONTH CHEDDAR
IS HIGHLIGHTING THE WOMEN
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS AND
TODAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE
CANNABIS INDUSTRY OUR NEXT
GUEST JUMPED INTO THE MARIJUANA
BUSINESS TO GUIDE EQUITABLE AND
INCLUSIVE LEGISLATION FOR
DECRIMINALIZE CANNABIS AND TO
MAKE SURE THAT FEMALE VOICES
HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE
JOINING ME NOW
IS RICHARD HENNESSY WHO IS THE
VP OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AT
READ MAPS GREAT TO HAVE YOU
HERE WITH US TODAY, BRIDGET.
WE'VE GOT TO KNOW IS THEY
CANNABIS INDUSTRY AS WOMEN
FRIENDLY AS IT CLAIMS TO BE.
>> YES WELL THANK YOU FOR
HAVING ME TODAY AND
YES A TRULY BELIEVE THAT THIS
IS AN INDUSTRY THAT IS VERY
UNIQUE IN THE
SENSE THAT. WE'RE IN THE
PROCESS OF BUILDING IT NOW SO
THERE'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY
FOR WIN AND AND AND IT REALLY
DATES BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF
THE INDUSTRY WHEN IN THE 80'S
AND WOMEN BIKE MARY
JANE RAYBURN AND AND WORKS IN
SAN FRANCISCO TO MAKE SURE THAT
SHE WAS BUILDING THIS INDUSTRY
THROUGH COMPASSIONATE CARE AND
MAKING SURE THAT AND SHE WAS
GIVING PATIENTS. AN OPPORTUNITY
TO USE CANNABIS AND AND
WORK WITH AIDS PATIENTS ACROSS
THE CAN ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND
IN SAN FRANCISCO, SHE WORKED
THE
DENTIST AROUND TO REALLY BUILD
THE VERY FIRST
AND DISPENSARY IN SAN FRANCISCO
IN FROM THERE, YOU KNOW WE'VE
HAD OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT
THE INDUSTRY. MY JOB HERE AT
WEEDMAPS REALLY ALLOWS ME TO
QUESTION NOT ONLY.
ON THE POLICY FRONT BUT ALSO IN
MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE
BUILDING POLICY
THAT ALLOWS FOR INCLUSIVITY AND
MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS
A SEAT AT THE TABLE IN THIS
INDUSTRY, SO IT'S REALLY
EXCITING TIME.
>> AND THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR AND
THE PANDEMIC WE DO KNOW
UNFORTUNATELY HAS HAS BEEN
DEVASTATING FOR WOMEN'S JOBS
POLL WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT WE
NEED
TO SEE WITHIN THE CANNABIS
INDUSTRY SPECIFICALLY AS TO
SUPPORT WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE,
RIGHT NOW.
>> YOU KNOW I THINK THAT WE
NEED TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT
WOMEN AND HAVE
THESE OPPORTUNITIES CANNABIS
HAS BEEN ONE OF THE FORTUNATE
INDUSTRIES DURING THIS TIME
WHERE WE REALLY
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONTINUE TO
GROW AND CONTINUE TO PUSH ON
LEGALIZATION POLICY IS SO THERE
ARE MYRIAD OF JOBS AVAILABLE
FOR WOMEN IN THIS INDUSTRY AND
IT'S REALLY ABOUT MAKING SURE
THAT WOMEN ARE AWARE AND THESE
JOBS AND MAKE SURE THAT WOMEN
ARE AWARE OF THE OPPORTUNITY
AND IT'S
NOT JUST IN THE INDUSTRY THAT
TOUCHES THE PLAN NECESSARILY
IT'S IN ALL THE DIFFERENT
ANCILLARY BUSINESSES THAT ARE
IMPACTED BY THIS INDUSTRY ARE
PART OF THIS INDUSTRY
EVERYTHING FROM THE LEGAL
ASPECTS OF IT
TO BANKING AND WOMEN HAVE A
GREAT OPPORTUNITY HERE SO I
THINK IT'S REALLY ABOUT
AND WOMEN LIKE MYSELF THAT HAVE
ALREADY ENTERED INTO THE
INDUSTRY MAKING SURE THAT
PULLING OTHER WOMEN INTO THIS
INDUSTRY AND MAKING SURE THAT
THEY KNOW ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY
HERE AND I THINK WHEN
POLICYMAKERS ARE THINKING
THROUGH THIS WE NEED TO MAKE
SURE THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF.
BUILDING
POLICY THAT ALLOWS WOMEN THE
FLEXIBILITY TO GET INTO THIS
INDUSTRY AND REALLY BUILD IT
FROM THE
GROUND UP.
>> OR ANY STATES FROM WHAT
YOU'VE REVIEWED THAT'S FAR
DOING A GOOD JOB AT
PRIORITIZING WOMEN AND
MINORITIES IN THE CANNABIS
INDUSTRY.
>> YOU KNOW LISTEN A LOT
OF IT STILL BEING BUILT AND I
WOULD SAY THERE ARE STATES THAT
DONE
IT WELL IN DIFFERENT ASPECTS,
ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK THAT
WE'RE REALLY WORKING TO SEAN
RIGHT NOW IS TO MAKE SURE THAT
IT'S NOT AN AFTERTHOUGHT THAT
WENT POLICY IS BEING MADE IN
THE FRAMEWORK IS COMING
TOGETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT
FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AND
IT'S NOT 2 YEARS A NEW MARKET
THAT THEY START THINKING OF HOW
DO WE INCLUDE WHETHER OR HOW DO
WE INCLUDE
MINORITIES. SO WE ARE REALLY
PUSHING FROM OUR AT FROM OUR
PERSPECTIVE ON MAKING SURE THAT
POLICYMAKERS ARE THINKING THAT
THING ABOUT THIS AT
THE OUTSET AND BUILDING POLICY
THAT NOT ONLY MAKE SURE THEY
HAVE A PATH THAT THEY HAVE THE
SUPPORT OF SERVICES NEEDED TO
ALLOW FOR HAND
PEOPLE TO BE IN THIS INDUSTRY.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOCIAL
EQUITY PROGRAMS AND WE WANT TO
MAKE
SURE THAT IT IS INCLUSIVE OF
CAPITAL NEEDED TO MAKE SURE
THAT PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO
CAPITAL AND SO THAT THEY CAN
REALLY BE IN THIS INDUSTRY IN A
MEANINGFUL WAY.
>> CERTAINLY AND WHAT ADVICE
WOULD YOU HAVE FOR WOMEN WHO
ARE ASPIRING TO ENTER INTO THE
CANNABIS INDUSTRY.
>> YOU KNOW I REALLY THINK IT'S
JUST DON'T BE AFRAID TO EXPLORE
AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU LOOK AT
VARIOUS OPPORTUNITY IS AGAIN I
THINK THAT
MOST PEOPLE THINK OF IT AS
SOMETHING THAT'S SORT OF
INTIMIDATING BECAUSE IT'S A
MALE DOMINATED FIELD AND IT
REALLY ISN'T A YOU SEE WOMEN IN
ALL ASPECTS OF
THIS INDUSTRY AND THEY'RE BEING
SUCCESSFUL AND BECAUSE IT'S
SUCH A
YOUNG INDUSTRY. WE HAVE A REAL
OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD IT
REPRESENTATIVE FASHION AND SO I
REALLY ENCOURAGE WOMEN TO LOOK
AT IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY IF
YOU'RE AN EXPERT AND TAX POLICY
OR IF YOU'RE
AN EXPERT AND THE LEGAL FIELD
AND THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR
YOU TO ENTER INTO THIS INDUSTRY