MedicateOH has been highlighting women leaders in the emerging Ohio cannabis industry for the last four years. On International Women’s Day and in honor of Women’s History Month, we’re taking the opportunity to recognize some more of the Ohio women who are making a difference in this unique & challenging field.
MedicateOH’s Women Making Weed Work Series
Our MedicateOH series Women Making Weed Work in Ohio has featured a handful of these notable women, but they represent just a fraction of the women I’ve encountered in our reporting with MedicateOH. Women advocates have been among the most powerful voices for reforming and improving patients’ access.
Here’s our list, but a caveat that it’s in no way exhaustive and we have so many more women we want to feature yet.
Alex Pearson
Our MedicateOH editor-in-cheif and resident cannastrologist wrote last years women’s history month feature as well as many of our Women Making Weed Work in Ohio features. Alex’s MedicateOH stories can be found here. She will be back in April with her next forecast. You can book a personal reading with Alex here.
Lauren Delande
Our latest WMWWIO story featured Director of Retail Operations at Klutch Cannabis and The Citizen by Klutch, about her journey from the retail pharmacy world to the cannabis industry. She and her team opened The Citizen by Klutch in Lorain last month, offering Ohio’s first pre-order drive thru service and numerous other dispensary innovations.
Dr. Bridget Williams
One of our first WMWWIO subjects from 2019 was Dr. Bridget Williams, a medical marijuana doctor in Columbus. Read more about Dr. Bridget and her Green Harvest Health practice in our story here. We’ve also got word that she and collaborators are coming out with their second edition of Courage in Cannabis in the Spring. Read about the first edition and it’s Ohio contributing authors here.
Andie Chaillet
In our last Clubhouse broadcast, we featured guest Andie Chaillet, a student we met through the University of Cincinnati’s Cannabis Studies certificate program. Andie has graduated and gone on to a career with Eastern Kentucky Hemp Company and shared her experiences with students and the community. Check out her audio broadcast here. She will also be a contributing author in the upcoming Courage in Cannabis book series.
Bonnie Rabin
The University of Cincinnati’s Introduction to Hemp and Medical Cannabis class’s professor also founded the ever-growing Ohio Medical Marijuana Meetup and continues to be a powerful community organizer, cancer survivor, and advocate. Join the Medical Marijuana Meetup here.
Dr. Gabrielle Morris
Dr. Gabrielle Morris, medical director at Duber Medical, led our Clubhouse discussion in January with an impactful contribution to educating students and the Ohio community about Cannabis as Medicine. You can listen to it here.
Jamie Lee Dodd
Cannabis industry professional and diabetes warrior Jamie Dodd shared her “Brave & Quiet” advocacy journey last year detailing her diagnosis with juvenile diabetes and how she says cannabis improves her quality of life.
Nickole Ross, Neariah Ross, Ally Reaves
Nickole Ross, Neariah Ross & Ally Reaves of Dayton’s Noohra Labs Midwest Cannawomen were our featured guests on our Clubhouse Chat on Minorities in Cannabis during February’s Black History Month. Check out our past coverage of the Midwest Cannawomen’s events and be on the lookout for a future story we’re writing about Nickole & Noorha Labs!
Christine DeJesus
The cultivation at Galenas highlights some of the industry’s best organic practices, and Christine leads the team. We’re delighted to be heading back to Galenas for a return visit and updated story soon. Christine is also a talented writer for Cannabis Business Times, sharing her immense cultivation knowledge in her articles. You can read her stories here.
Tiffany Carwile
Tiffany has shared her story of her son Jaxsyn and his experiences with autism spectrum disorder. Her enormous advocacy efforts have put autism on the potential list of qualifying conditions for medical marijuana in Ohio several times. It is again up for consideration this year. Learn more about Tiffany and her Autism Alliance of Ohio here.
Mary Alleger
Mary Alleger was one of our early WMWWIO subjects and is currently and advocate, educator, and a writer for MedicateOH. You can read her latest articles here. She also broke down the very important topic of cannabis research for students on our first Clubhouse session this semester. You can listen to that here.
Mary Jane Borden
Mary Jane Borden is a venerable woman advocate spanning several decades and veteran reporter for the Columbus Free Press, artist and all-around fact machine. Also an author for Courage in Cannabis, volume 1, Mary Jane’s Guide republishes to MedicateOH monthly. You can read those here, including her last piece, which celebrated her 100th Free Press article. Her contributions to the community are boundless.
Melissa Eppich
She’s a cannabis industry connector and sales professional. She’s also a patient who fiercely advocates for the plant. She contributed some of her experiences to our fibromyalgia story, which you can read here.
Kate Nelson
In 2021, we talked with General Manager of Ohio for Acreage Holdings about her journey from University of Akron criminal justice student with a passion for cannabis reform to her role heading up The Botanist brand of cannabis dispensaries. You can ready that story here.
Wendy Johnson
One of our early Women Making Weed Work in Ohio subjects in 2019, Wendy continues to be one of Ohio’s loudest and proudest voices for cannabis reform. She’s also a breast cancer survivor, and you can read more about her experience here.
Emilie Kelleher
Another one of our first Women Making Weed Work in Ohio subjects when she was manager at Columbus Terrasana dispensary, Emilie is now Vice President at processor BeneLeaves.
Amy Camden
Amy shares her advocay as a T1 diabetic who educates others about this disease. Amy emphasizes the vast difference between T1 & T2 diabetes. Read more of her story in our T1 diabetes feature here.
Joanie Caleodis
Ohio’s first medical marijuana patient was diagnosed in 2010 with Primary Progressive MS and lives today an MS warrior and advocate for cannabis as medicine, which she uses to help battle her condition. Read more about her story here.
Dana Ferrell
The Green Room Fumoir‘s Dana Ferrell has been integral to MedicateOH in the event planning department with last September’s Chili Cookoff and next Saturday’s Cuyahoga Falls Potluck. We hope to see many of you there.
Pricilla Lovine Harris and Jolie Moyer
Sensible Movement Coalition’s Pricilla Lovine Harris and Jolie Moyer have made wide-reaching contributions to furthering the decriminalization and legalization efforts in our state. They are leading the efforts for the upcoming The People’s Cannabis Lobby Day Rally on 4/20 at the Statehouse. Get more details about that event and RSVP here.
Marissa Kehres, Shawna Southwick, Eileen Jerome, Tiffany Startup
Our MedicateOH 2022 Writers Workshop Graduates earned both a certificate and boundless skills for better communication of their advocacy. These women have contributed so much to both our publication and to the community.
Gabrielle Dion
Yes, I’m recognizing myself! In addition to my writing and advocacy work with MedicateOH, I’m celebrating four years “green & sober” this year after nearly a decade of challenges with opioid addiction. Cheers to all my fellow women rocking out recovery in their own time and space.
Know a woman in your canna-company you’d like to recognize with a Women Making Weed Work in Ohio feature article? Email us to nominate someone.
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