Cannabis enthusiasts aim to highlight and increase minorities in the legal marijuana industry through Estrohaze.
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made it no secret that he wants to make marijuana illegal in every state. As of now, it is recreational use is legal in several states, including Alaska, Colorado, Maine and yes, even Washington, D.C. Yet, new cannabis businesses pop up everyday as savvy entrepreneurs find ways to cash in. In 2016, Whoopi Goldberg launched a successful marijuana line for menstrual cramps available in California.
According to Marijuana Business Daily, whites make up over 80 percent of marijuana business owners, compared to only 4.3 percent of blacks. Yet, more minorities are getting on board. Black women are leaving a mark on the “Green Rush” and making their own green dollars. Digital content creators Safon Floyd, 36, from Miami, Kali Wilder, 36 from Kansas City, Missouri and Sirita Wright, 36 from Maryland, were not going to be deterred by the cannabis controversy or dismal stats. They launched EstroHaze, a cannabis media company, after graduating from Canopy, one of the nation’s top cannabis accelerators.
How do you deflect the stereotypes of cannabis when you meet people outside the business or explain to someone what you do on the grocery line?
Safon: Believe it or not, as media coverage expands and the benefits of the plant are becoming publicized, people, including my mom (which says a lot), are growing to be a lot less sensitive about cannabis than they once were.
Kali: I attack those from a few different standpoints based on who it is. I break down the lives it saves, the science of the plant, the ways regulation works, the communities it’s impacted, the different ways to consume. Lots of people don’t know you don’t have to be “high” to enjoy the benefits of the plant.
Sirita: I am unapologetic. Cannabis is saving lives, creating jobs and a huge opportunity for people of color to attain generational wealth.
Where do you see EstroHaze this time next year?
Safon: This time next year, EstroHaze will be producing original programming, shopping around a show or two, hosting epic events in thriving and emerging markets, all while continuing to lift the voices of minority women in this space.
(by Maryann Reid | Maryann Reid is an author, and co-founder of Alphanista, a business and career platform for multicultural women living and working internationally.)
