Press
As fresh as cannabis across various legal states is, statistics show that it still leans toward a male-dominated industry. According to a 2021 report from MJBizDaily, only 22.1% of women in the cannabis industry held executive positions in 2021, which was a decline from 36.8% in 2019. The 2020 national average among all industries in the country was 29.8%. We Are JAINE is a nonprofit aimed at empowering women, working to ensure that the Missouri cannabis industry remains as level a playing field as possible.
We Are JAINE, a Missouri-founded industry organization supporting women in cannabis is proud to announce its first-ever JAINE Advocacy, Inclusion, and Diversity (AID) Awards winner for 2023. This first annual award recognizes organizations for leading the way in being diverse and inclusive in Missouri’s cannabis industry.
Lila Waier grew up in Santa Cruz, California, in a household shaped by the experiences of her veteran parents. Her father, a Vietnam War veteran, served over ten years in the U.S. Army and faced significant challenges with PTSD after returning to civilian life. To cope, he cultivated cannabis as a form of medicine, finding solace not only in the consumption of the plant but also in the therapeutic process of gardening.
Missouri’s cannabis industry is taking off, but few women are running the companies fueling that growth. A new nonprofit based in St. Louis, We Are JAINE, aims to change that.
A new Midwest, female-focused business organization has been established, cultivated from the burgeoning community of women involved in establishing and building Missouri’s medical marijuana program.