SWAAY -HOW THESE SEVEN WOMEN ARE CHANGING THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY

My family has strong women role models (men too!) and that backbone has carried through in how I lead the operations in this company,” explains Vander Veer. “Plus, the sense that women can control their own destiny in a new industry is definitely an attractive opportunity.”

It’s true that cannabis is somewhat of a taboo word these days since legalization laws make it a pretty controversial topic everyone seems to have an opinion on. However, it’s also safe to say that the internet has definitely allowed the cannabis industry to boom since there are tons of new startup businesses (we’re talking beauty products and media platforms!) popping up all around the country like wildfire.

However, you probably didn’t know about the effect women have on the industry since there are a growing variety of new cannabis businesses, both created and run by women. To see exactly why women are entering themselves into this controversial industry, we spoke to seven different cannabis influencers on how they are revolutionizing how people see cannabis.

Name: Genifer Murray

Business Name: GENIFER M (Co-Founder)

Business Description: Produces handcrafted cannabis-inspired jewelry.

Genifer Murray has definitely seen the medicinal benefits of cannabis first hand, as her cannabis career started in 2010 when she co-founded one of the first cannabis testing labs (CannLabs) in the United States. Through her constant lobbying and work inside the industry, Murray realized she wanted to help better represent the industry, and make a statement that illustrated cannabis in both a non-threatening and elegant way.

“My mission with CannLabs was to provide safe and quality medicine to cannabis patients, which resulted in a bigger mission: to help others and the larger community that need this medicine through lobbying for its legalization.”

— GENIFER MURRAY

To make that bold statement, Murray decided to launch cannabis-inspired jewelry company GENIFER M, with the help of her father, as he designed her a unique 2.5 kt diamond pave indica leaf lapel to wear when she was lobbying with the NCIA, and the Governor's Task Force for Amendment 64. Through wearing this special and handcrafted pin, Genifer hoped she could start a conversation about how people view cannabis.

“The pin created a movement, creating a non-threatening space for educating consumers about cannabis and its benefits. GENIFER M is an extension of that conversation and was launched to change the way people perceive, interact, and experience cannabis through luxe style and handcrafted quality jewelry.”

— GENIFER MURRAY

From earrings to bracelets, each GENIFER M piece is shaped like a marijuana leaf, and is handcrafted and made with gold, silver, and diamonds. And as the cannabis movement continues to grow, Gennifer notes that her business to is expanding, as she will soon be launching wholesale products that will be available at cannabis dispensaries and retail boutiques nationally.

“GENIFER M will continue to expand as the movement and conversation about cannabis grows, including the launch of new product lines such as The Healing Collection and a Gentleman’s Collection, with unisex and male-orientated products. GENIFER M will also be launching wholesale products, selling jewelry in cannabis dispensaries and retail boutiques nationally.”

— GENIFER MURRAY

Although she notes that there still is a lot of work to be done in the industry, Murray is more than optimistic about the cannabis movement’s future, since she says it’s a great opportunity for female entrepreneurs to thrive.

“In this industry, 36 percent of women are in executive and leadership positions as opposed to six percent in tech and nine percent in the Fortune 500. This means that it could be the first time in history when women could run a billion trillion dollar industry. I think any woman would be excited about that.”

— GENIFER MURRAY