March is women’s history month, and to commemorate we wanted to hear from the amazing women of SunMed about their experiences in the cannabis industry and what being a “Woman in Cannabis,” means to them.
“I never thought I’d be here.”
This quote was the ubiquitous beginning to many of our interviews with the amazing women of SunMed Growers and Labs. The rest of their answers, however, were nothing short of inspirational as they tell us why they LOVE being Women in Cannabis.
Everyone has a unique perspective, but a common thread we found in our conversations was that most never thought they would be working in cannabis - let alone for the largest grower and processor in the State. Their stories are stories of resilience and finding a home in something they love, and a place they can make a real impact in an ever-changing industry like cannabis.
These conversations had us hooked, hearing from all different departments at every stage of our facility - Grow, Post-Harvest, Lab, and Admin.
“Having a female presence in this industry is empowering in and of itself.”
When asked what interested them in coming to the Cannabis industry, we were surprised by the wide spectrum of prior experience with cannabis and their preconceived notions of the plant and industry. Many of the women we interviewed had minimal plant growing or extraction experience, but they all shared an interest to learn more and be on the frontier of something new.
“I wanted to be a part of the ‘behind the scenes process’ and get my foot in the door of a company that I knew was growing.”
“After learning how much Cannabis could help me, I wanted to learn more about the process so that I could make a difference and help benefit the health of others.”
"This is the first job where I feel that I’m around like-minded people, which brings me a great sense of comfort.”
The broad brush of backgrounds these women come from and how that plays a role in their day-to-day lives here at SunMed is incredible. They discovered that many of their lived experiences apply to cannabis and apply to many of our unique processes here at SunMed!
“As a former nurses aid, it’s interesting to have a job that is still considered healthcare but also considered so ‘controversial’. I’m used to a job based off of helping others, and this job has that same basis.”
“I was a hotel custodian for four years before entering the industry; cleaning up after people. Here, I’m in charge of cleaning up the plants, so in a way it feels as though things have come full circle.”
“After working behind a desk in a post office for several years, it was a major change coming here and having different tasks and responsibilities on a day-to-day basis. I love being more hands on and gaining a sense that I’m a part of something important.”
Gaining insight to ways this industry has empowered our women, truly puts it into perspective that they can also play a key role in pushing this industry forward. With a foot in the door, they believe there’s no time like the present to leave a mark!
“Generally speaking, women tend to find ways to pay attention to detail and spark creativity. I think that can give us the upper hand in this industry when expressing different and new ideas that come to mind; as the industry is always looking for new ways to do things.”
When we asked our ladies what advice they would have for other women looking to join the industry – they had a lot to say!
Cheers to the amazing women of SunMed and all women making an impact in Cannabis!