Want to Start a Cannabis Brand? These 5 Black Women Entrepreneurs Will Inspire You
No matter who you are, entering the cannabis industry as an entrepreneur is risky. The following Black women are taking the plunge anyway.
As Minorities in Cannabis (MIC) Bootcampers, they’ve received resources and education to develop their brands. And we’ve been given the gift of witnessing their journeys.
Looking for inspiration to get the ball rolling on your cannabis business? Keep reading—you don’t want to miss what these women have to say.
Sederia Gray, Founder and CEO of LunaSol Company
“You have to be comfortable being uncomfortable.”
That’s the number one tip Sederia Gray, founder of LunaSol Company, would offer anyone interested in starting a cannabis brand.
“It's a highly regulated industry. Things change. You might know something today, and then it completely changes tomorrow. You have to be okay with that.”
Sederia isn’t saying that theoretically.
LunaSol Company’s home base will be in Mississippi. Mississippi voters elected medical marijuana in 2020. Then the Mississippi Supreme Court struck it down in 2021.
While that wasn’t quite the play Sederia was hoping for, she’s not done—not even close. Her suggestion to those in similar situations is to get advice and counsel from the people who’ve been there before.
“Since it is such a regulated industry—and all the states are at different phases—I encourage anybody new to connect with people who’ve been in the cannabis game for a long time. Because history repeats itself.”
Sederia’s response to the tumultuous legal landscape teaches us that learning to pivot, thinking flexibly, and seeking experience from people who’ve faced similar obstacles can keep you in the game, even when the game’s on pause.
Stacey St. Louis, Founder of Compact Comforts
Worried you don’t have what it takes to get into the cannabis industry?
Shoot your shot.
That’s the advice Stacey St. Louis, founder of Compact Comforts, offers the aspirational entrepreneur flooded with self-doubt.
There’s not much weed on Stacey’s resume (outside of some possible landscaping). Her work history has been in property management and real estate.
Instead of seeing that as a disqualifying factor, Stacey assessed the reality of her market and realized that she’s probably not the only one entering the industry with little experience.
“A lot of people who are starting out in New York aren’t going to have a background in cannabis because… there was never a legal cannabis market in New York,” Stacey said.
Point taken.
And it’s a factor that rings true in most states, given the industry's youth. So when Stacey saw that Marijuana Matters was recruiting participants for the MIC Bootcamp, she assumed she’d be turned down but decided to apply anyway.
“New York had legalized for seven days at that point. I had nothing—no real business other than an idea and a goal. But I applied because it just spoke right to me.”
Fast-forward and Stacey is one of the five inaugural members of the MIC Bootcamp. As such, she has access to resources and education that help her develop her business.
Stacey is an inspiring example of what could happen when you plunge into vulnerability and go for the win despite expecting to lose.
“A lot of people who think, ‘Oh, I'm probably not going to qualify for this, so I might as well not waste my time,’” Stacey said. “But it's absolutely worth it to keep trying.”
Amber Norwood, J.D., Founder of PAIISE, Co-founder of Weed the People
Amber Norwood is a lawyer, co-founder of a cannabis consulting group, and a cannabis retail store founder. She's also the single mother of a six-year-old daughter. As she puts it, she wears quite a few hats.
Amber’s aware that she’s not the only woman who feels that pressure—to be the best mom, the best professional, the best friend you can be. And she knows that cannabis can help to relieve that pressure. The trouble is that most products prioritize recreation over wellness.
“Being in this industry, I've seen how many products are out there, but none address simple things like just clarity. Just focus. Just relaxation. Just smaller doses,” Amber said.
“We have a lot of products out here that are high THC, 2% CBD. I'm tailoring a line that microdoses for canna-curious females who want to step their toe into the cannabis space and use it for daily wellness.”
Amber’s brand, PAIISE, is an answer to a problem she experienced herself. That’s a valuable lesson for anyone looking to start a business.
So what are your pain points as a cannabis consumer? What would be your ideal solution to those issues? Chances are, you can at least consider molding that idea into a business plan.
Ashley Jelks, Founder, CEO, and Chief Herbalist at the High Priestess Herbal Wellness
Ashley Jelks decided to invest in herself as if she was the most valuable return she could make. But doing that required her to reevaluate where she put her time and energy.
“As a software engineer, I get to exercise some things that I enjoy doing with my brain, but there are so many other talents I have that I leave on the table every day,” Ashley said. “Don't get me wrong—I enjoy being heads down, writing code, and not talking to anyone sometimes, but that's not what I'm trying to do for the rest of my life.”
Ashley recognized that starting her cannabis brand, the High Priestess Herbal Wellness, was a way to optimize her talents for herself, not an employer who may or may not truly recognize her potential.
“I don't want to work for someone else and someone else's dreams,” Ashley said. “If I'm going to work hard and hustle like that, I want it to be so I can create something for me, my community, my family, the people who’ve supported me.”
Keisha Reed, CEO of Explore Maryland Cannabis
“I am very much a person who likes structure and routine,” Keisha Reed, CEO of Explore Maryland Cannabis, said before explaining that she’d left her job to go all-in on her cannabis organization.
“But I had to have a real conversation with myself,” she continued. “I wasn't growing—I wasn't evolving.”
Keisha is far from being the only person sitting at a desk wondering if there’s more to life than a 9 to 5 that pays the bills and drains the soul. What sets Keisha apart was the willingness to disrupt her status quo and look for something more aligned with her passions.
She began to delve deeply into the cannabis space by connecting with local lawmakers and lobbying for cannabis and equity. The impact of her civic engagement helped her see a place for her in the industry.
Then COVID turned the world upside down. That was her breaking point.
“The pandemic definitely shaped and shifted a lot,” Keisha said. “I lost a lot of people. But why not honor their memory by just going forward and betting on myself?”
Letting go of what she knew allowed Keisha to experience the abundance of the unknown. And that’s the gift entrepreneurship gives those brave enough to receive it—an opportunity to participate in something new.
If you’re reading this as someone who wants to take the leap but can’t see past the risks involved in cannabis entrepreneurship, consider this question:
What if every risk you imagine returns a reward that exceeds the imaginable?
About the Marijuana Matters Minorities in Cannabis Bootcamp
The MIC Bootcamp is a free virtual program designed to help startup cannabis entrepreneurs. The program recruits those disproportionately impacted by cannabis criminalization looking to start or strengthen their brands.
Be sure to subscribe to the Green Light Podcast so you can catch our upcoming Minorities in Cannabis Bootcamp series. Each episode features one of the brilliant women we've introduced you to here.
Connect with us to learn how you can leverage cannabis legalization and social equity to invest in yourself and your community.
Marijuana Matters is a social enterprise working at the nexus of community, industry, and government. Our mission is to create pathways out of poverty for those most harmed by the war on drugs through advocacy, education, and entrepreneurship. Support our work.
