Women's Cannabis Chamber of Commerce

Larisa Bolivar Cannabis Trailblazer

The Washington Post called Larisa Bolivar  “one of the city’s [Denver] most well-known proponents of decriminalizing marijuana nationally,” Larisa came to Denver in 2001 as a medical cannabis refugee. She immediately began assisting patients in navigating the early and complicated process of finding doctors who would recommend cannabis and matchmaking them with registered caregivers in an effort to create safe access in a legally ambiguous space. A cannabis career and company began.

Larisa founded Caregivers for Safe Access and helped thousands of patients with registering for medical marijuana cards. Caregiver for Safe Access was renamed the Colorado Compassion Club and in 2005 the first dispensaries in Colorado prior to 2008. (Regulations were created in 2010). In 2008, she returned to the DC area where she’s from and continued her cannabis advocacy work while simultaneously working for a billion dollar valued clean tech company.

Her activism, advocacy, expertise and commitment to patients’ rights moved her into the national spotlight. She has published articles in respected publications such as the Denver Post, and in 2017, she published the Cannabis Consumers Coalition: 2017 Report on Cannabis Consumer Demographics and Consumption Habits that was mentioned by Forbe’s, Entrepreneur and Investing News. A well-recognized global expert on cannabis policy, industry and business, Larisa Bolivar has been featured and quoted in multiple publications and speaks on a variety of cannabis business and advocacy topics at major conferences around the globe.

Larisa was named one of the 2019 “Top 100 People You Should Know”by Hemp Connoisseur Magazine. She has been recognized as an industry pioneer by Sensi Media in the first issue of Sensi Magazine, Colorado 2016. In her 2020 interview with Westword, Larisa talks about the realities of the Colorado cannabis industry. 

In 2014, Larisa founded the Cannabis Consumer Coalition, 501(C)(3), which promotes consumer advocacy and education.  She has also served as co-chair on the board of the National Diversity Inclusion Cannabis Alliance (NDICA) and on the board of Colorado NORML.

The mission of the Cannabis Consumers Coalition is to provide cannabis consumers with a voice in the growing cannabis industry, and to ensure consumer rights and ethical behavior on behalf of cannabis-related businesses. 

In 2020, Larisa helped write and push for Colorado House Bill 1424 Social Equity in Regulated Cannabis Businesses to lay the groundwork for creating statewide social equity. Larisa’s father is a Peruvian immigrant and her multi-racial has been targeted in the War on Drugs on two continents.

Larisa has been consulting independently as Bolivar Consulting since 2008. She began writing business plans before there was market data, becoming a contributing thought leader. 

Over the years Larisa has been instrumental in winning licenses for clients in competitive states, including Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. She has written standard operating procedures and other company operating documents across multiple highly regulated markets, assisted companies in becoming more efficient and profitable, has successfully helped businesses get organized and prepared for mergers and acquisitions and further provides organizational development support.

Larisa Bolivar is the owner and founder of Bolivar Hemp Company. Bolivar Hemp Company was years in the making, starting with a dream, and then bringing that dream to a reality in December 2018. The company launched with 9 products and two lines and is in the process of a reorganization in Oklahoma.

Currently, Larisa is also the chief operations and compliance officer for HPF Productions which produces flower for Moss Greenery under the brand Higher Power Flowers, which is marketed as Higher Power Flowers produced by Moss Greenery.

Larisa Bolivar continues to advocate for consumer rights, accountability in the cannabis industry and social equity and justice. 

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Celebrating Women

Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories, is the  2023 theme for Women’s History Month.

We are celebrating women who tell our stories, stood up and SHOUTED OUR STORIES. Women who used their voices, their pens, and their lives so all women would be heard; so all women would be seen. We are celebrating women of courage.

Telling our story has been dangerous. “Modern research points to roughly 40,000 to 50,000 witch executions in Europe between 1450 and 1750, and an estimated 75%-80% of those executed were women. That would put the number of executed women witches at 40,000.”

Denying girls an education ensured our voices and visions would not be valued. Without the ability to read or write we had little control over our future. There were men who taught women to read, who in turn taught other women and girls to read and write. In the 17th century boarding schools for girls were founded. Girls were taught writing, music and needle work. In 1678 there was only one woman in the world with a Ph., Italian, Elena Piscopia.

The education of women has  varied from civilizations, cultures and regions, to explore this more follow this link. 

In the United States women had no property rights until the mid-1800’s, New York passed the Married Women’s Property Act in 1848 and the Act Concerning the Rights and Liabilities of Husband and Wife in 1860. This gave women the right to conduct business and contract without a husband, father, or male guardian’s consent and the right to own property. The laws gave women legal authority over their own children.

Ancient history? No, its current history. Prior to the 1974  Equal Credit Opportunity Act a woman could not get a credit card without her husband’s signature. When writing about the evolution of women’s rights the words married and husband dominate. The stigma and obstacles of being a single woman lasted into the 90’s. 

The consistency in our history and our story is control, dehumanization and fear through rape and brutality. 51% of rape victims report being raped by an intimate partner and 40.8% by an acquaintance. One in three women are sexually abused or raped the first time between the ages of 11 and 17.

We all know “our story.” As a child I heard our story whispered by mother and her friends over coffee and donuts. I heard our story whispered in my grandmother’s quilting group and in the backseat of the car as my aunts drove us to church. As an adult I’ve heard “our story” as a rape counselor, over cocktails with friends, and in the feminist movement. I have heard “our story” in the quietness after an expo or conference. I know the story well, it is every woman’s story. It is my story.

The women we are celebrating for Women’s History Month did not tell “our story” alone. The women who whispered “our story” supported them in their own way. You do not have to lead a march or protest to have your voice heard. You have to stop whispering, speak up and stand your ground. You are making history by being a strong woman for your family and the women who have not found their voice. 

One woman can change the world. Together we can ROCK the World!

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Brianna's

Brianna’s Insights

Brianna’s position as the National Executive Director of The Women’s Cannabis Chamber of Commerce and Founder and CEO of SunBaked Goods provides her with insights into multiple aspects of the cannabis industry.

Too many companies forget, or fail to realize, how deeply rooted culture is within cannabis. A majority of conversations I have had recently revolve around the frustration felt by employees who seek genuine leaders, but feel as if their requests are falling on deaf ears. With the industry professionalizing at a rapid pace, it’s crucial for recruiters to understand that leading a successful team in another industry cannot be a copy-paste experience when developing teams in the cannabis space.

This is an industry that is on a path to become substantially lucrative, but was built by the efforts and sacrifices of many who must not just be included, but made whole. The current landscape of corporate cannabis lends itself to those with no prior industry experience securing leadership roles because “they have done it before, and can do it again” in another arena. But this line of thinking does a disservice to the progress made by those who have put in years of hard work to build the infrastructure now being relied upon by these organizations.

These are professionals who have knocked down barriers, fought for reform, and continue to lead through their unique perspectives that can only come from lived experiences. To create successful teams, it is important to remember that while there are similarities between managing any type of business, this is still an incredibly nuanced industry with its own complexities. Companies who wish to be at the forefront of innovation should start by valuing the importance of having a team that reflects the incredible diversity within the cannabis community.

To learn more about Brianna’s business career in cannabis visit the Our Team page, and SunBaked Goods

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Angelica Lilley

Angelica Lilley

Angelica Lilley, is well qualified to be the Community Outreach Specialist for RISE in Florida, serving the needs of patients along the west coast. Having grown up in Florida and being active in her community, she understands the concerns and misconceptions around cannabis as an alternative to prescription medications.

In 2017 Angelica began working with her sister in law, a doctor of oriental medicine, to provide holistic patient care. Partnering with a cannabis clinic in 2018 was a natural transition and opened up another and more controversial element of holistic patient care.

Cannabis is one of the oldest recorded medicinal plants. It dates back to Shen-Nung, the Father of Chinese Medicine, 2700 B.C.E. Political referendums in the 1930’s resulting in criminalization of cannabis created decades of advertising and anti-drug campaigns that have affected Americans’ attitudes and perceptions about cannabis users.

As a woman of Asian ancestry, Angelica realized she needed to educate Asian Americans on the medicinal properties and history of cannabis as medicine in their culture. Her knowledge of holistic medicine coupled with scientific research, patient’s stories, and her and her husband’s, a Veteran, personal experiences and journey enables Angelica to address patients’ questions and needs. 

It was this knowledge and commitment that brought Angelica to RISE. RISE’s company values and company culture resonates with Angelica’s core beliefs and her approach to educating and working with the community.

RISE not only focuses on quality, they focus on the “whole plant” including the properties and role of terpenes. Their corporate (Green Thumb Industries) mission statement includes:

“We believe everyone has a right to well-being. Within our industry, we hold ourselves to a higher standard to grow and serve even more people with safe, quality cannabis. As a leading cannabis company we exist to be helpful stewards on everyone’s journey to well being.”

At RISE the Community Outreach Specialist involves more than ensuring positive and stress free experiences for patients, it is educating and being an active part of the community.

Angelica and the RISE Team will participate in the 2022 Komen Miami/Ft. Lauderdale MORE THAN PINK Walk, October 08. 

RISE supports the community and RISE hopes that its cannabis community will support cancer research by donating to the RISE Team’s goal at their page on Susan G. Kormen.

You can connect with Angelica and team members at RISE sponsored networking and special events that emphasize women’s roles in cannabis and the industry.  Green Thumb Industries has 17 manufacturing facilities, 77 open retail locations and operations across 15 U.S. markets. Established in 2014, Green Thumb employs approximately 4,000 people. The number of women and minorities is significantly greater than the national average. 

Angelica LilleyAngelica points out the influence women have within the company and how it carries over to the product lines and the future for women in the cannabis industry.

“Having women in the industry and in positions to make decisions is what is needed to progress our presence. RISE has a Tincture line called The Feel Collection…. “Created by Badass Women, for Badass Women”.  Enough said.”

RISE – Green Thumb Industries raises the standard of community investment with Good Green which offers unrestricted funding for 501(c)3’s working in Black and Brown communities that are creating change in Education, Employment, and Expungement.

Meet Angelica and team at the WCCC Candy Making Event October 16 in Jacksonville.

Learn more about Angelica’s expertise, experiences and insights on being a woman in the cannabis industry with Women Cultivating Success – Conversations with Women in the Cannabis Industry, Online, October 19. Join the Conversation! REGISTER

Angelica Lilley Women Cultivating Success

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Lisa Pickett Women Cultivating Success

Lisa Pickett Winning llc

Lisa Pickett (CLDP, CMT, CLC) was born and raised in Queens, New York, and has been bi-coastal for many years until finally making Los Angeles her home. 

Lisa is an active Learning & Development specialist with years of experience, multiple certifications, and the necessary empathetic sensibilities needed to lead in today’s complex workplace. She maintains her deep interest in the following: Employee development, modern workplace learning strategies, social and self-directed learning, design of online learning experiences, and interactive workshops.  Lisa is a master collaborator, aligning L&D strategy, employee skill sets, and an organization’s driving goals and initiatives.  

Lisa P. creates effective and impactful HR, coaching, and workshops as part of Winning Coaching.  Lisa’s intention is to leave every person and place she encounters better than before they met, or she arrived. lisa@winning-1.com

Coach Ash and Lisa Pickett developed and facilitate the HIGHer Executive Leadership Development Course. 

Join guest, Lisa Pickett, September 28th, 6:30 est at Women Cultivating Success Conversations with Women in the Cannabis Industry Online – Interactive – Free. Hosted by the Women’s Cannabis Chamber of Commerce.

Join In The Conversation. Register Here

 

Lisa Pickett Women Cultivating Success

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Landon's

Sierra Riddle

Landon'sIn September of 2012, Sierra Riddle could not have imagined the direction her life was about to take and that she would be fighting for her son’s life under the scrutiny of national media.

Sierra was a young single mother of a beautiful two year old boy, Landon. Landon had developed a sore throat and swollen lymph nodes. The emergency room doctor diagnosed it as a virus and sent him home. Two days later Landon’s armpits were also swollen. “They thought it was either a virus or infection in the lymph nodes, so they gave him some antibiotics.” By day five his groin, abdomen and throat were swollen and he was having trouble breathing. “His whole chest was full of leukemia tumors, which is why he couldn’t breathe,” his mother says.  Landon was diagnosed with T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at just 2-years-old.  “They started him on chemo, but told us that he probably wasn’t going to make it. Landon’s cancer had quickly progressed, leading doctors to give him an 8% chance of survival.” Landon was originally given only a 10 percent chance of living through the first two days of treatment.

Doctors put Landon on a four-year treatment plan. The first two months of chemo went fairly well, but then Landon became extremely ill.  He had been prescribed medications like OxyContin and morphine — medications with significant side effects. Landon suffered from stomach failure, and “the OxyContin made him so miserable, when he had hair, he would literally try to pull his hair out.” Sierra watched her toddler becoming dependent on narcotic pain killers. “Around the clock, he was usually on liquid morphine, Ativan, Promethazine,” Sierra told CNN. “And it just really didn’t seem to be helping.” 

Sierra was determined to do more than safe her son’s life, she wanted a quality life for Landon. Her journey led her to the Realm of Caring. Landon began with what’s called CBD oil from marijuana containing a very low level THC, the psychoactive ingredient. Wendy Riddle, Landon’s grandmother, says the effects “were almost immediate”.

This is not the end of Sierra’s story, it is the beginning. It is the beginning of a battle that propelled Sierra Riddle into the national spotlight. 

She quickly connected with groups of patients and began speaking at local events. Sierra and Landon’s story became part of Dr. Gupta Sanjay’s documentary on Medical Marijuana. Except 

Fueled by her passion to provide access to safe, natural cannabis and education to people diagnosed with cancer Sierra became an activist for patients’ rights and sought after national speaker. She was instrumental in the founding of CannaMommy. 

CannaMommy Clinic is a free online resource that establishes a bridge between the patient and provider, eliminating the fear of CPS or law enforcement.

Sierra and Landon had moved to Colorado where Landon, who would become the youngest medical marijuana patient in the state, could have access to his medicine. 

Landon’s oncology team began reporting Sierra to Child Protective Services for refusing to give Landon chemotherapy despite the documented improvement in his health. She was being accused of medical abuse and neglect. The oncology team was advocating to put Landon in medical foster care in order to resume his chemo treatments. Face to face with the director of CPS, her son’s team of doctors, top administrators from the Children’s Hospital Colorado oncology department and lawyers Sierra began a second battle for her son’s health and well being.

“Listen: Here’s all this chemo you told CPS he cannot live without, and if I didn’t give it to him, he would relapse and die.” Sierra dumped a bag of prescription drugs onto the table. 

It had been over a year since Landon had taken the meditation. The doctors’ could not argue his improvement. 

“I just want to say, no matter what I am not going to give him chemo, but I’m not going to risk losing him either.  I’m not going to push it that far.”

Sierra was prepared for this battle. Realm of Caring provided the opportunity to educate herself on cannabis and cannabidiol therapies. She relentently sought out every piece of research on cannabis and cannabidiol therapies. Sierra has become known as an expert in Pediatric Cannabis/CBD Therapy and speaks at medical conferences throughout the country.

A passion for providing her son with health coupled with her passion for the plant inspired Landons Health Hut. 

“Landon’s Health Hut provides natural and organic CBD health products created right in my own kitchen. As I researched natural and alternative health, it was crazy to me that people thought they had to rely on such harsh pharmaceutical medicines to feel better. They couldn’t recognize the ingredients and they had side effects that were so severe. In the beginning stages, I found old-time remedies that I knew I could enhance with my newfound knowledge of healing.

I used ingredients from my own kitchen and made them into powerful healing agents. And you know what? There was nothing scary about my formulations, because the ingredients were REAL and authentic.”

2019 the first harvest of a boutique strain, Landon’s Legacy from Green Seed Farm. It yielded half a pound as was popular with the patrons of Steve’s Greens Cannabis + Wellness.

“Landon’s Legacy is a high-THC medicinal cannabis strain, and it is something that we are very proud of and have worked on for quite a few years and it will be marketed as a strain that is fantastic for children with a multitude of health issues and terminal illnesses and will always be grown organically,” Sierra Riddle said. “I’m only allowing contracts with dispensaries that are going to do it the right way as well as give back to their local communities there because that’s what it’s all about. Part of my partnership agreement is that they — whoever wants to carry my genetics and have access to all of these amazing things — will donate 10 to 20 percent of those sales for those specific genetics back into my nonprofit, which will then continuously be able to help people in their communities. As well, we are an international nonprofit and so we help families all over the world with plant-based medicine as well as plant-based education.”

“Landon’s Revenge is the second strain, and it’s just about ready to go as sending it across state lines and being ready for a full-blown production grow,” she said. “And that is going to be a high-CBD strain with a healthy amount of CBG, CBN and THC. And that will be also marketed mainly as a safe medication for children with illnesses and everything else but obviously works fantastically for adults as well. It’s just here at Landon’s Health Hut, we like to focus on children with terminal illnesses and life-threatening diseases.”

Sierra Riddle was an ordinary young woman who through her battles evolved into an extraordinary woman shaking things up and making change happen.

Landon's“Landon now is going to celebrate seven years cancer-free this year, which also will mark five years past any medical treatment, which is what the medical community considers cured,” Sierra said. “For Landon, we’ll be cured medically this year, and he is the first and only child to have successfully survived childhood leukemia without the treatment.”

 

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