According to a 2021 report, the national average for women in executive-level business positions is just under 30%, but in the cannabis industry, that statistic is only 22% MJBizDaily reports.

Unfortunately, this number only represents the executive level. When you look at the average employee, it’s clear that the industry’s reputation as a fraternity festival is well-deserved embarrassing.

Now consider becoming a marijuana-smoking woman in a tech role outside of C-Suite. The chances of meeting another woman at work are very low.

Across all industries, women make up only about 28 percent of the entire science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) workforce. so, women working in cannabis tech Often faced with a double whammy: both our chosen fields and our chosen industries are notorious for their lack of gender diversity. So no matter where we work, we may be the only female voice.

Does this mean the industry is not suitable for women? Absolutely not! However, it does present the challenge of learning how to deftly sidestep some of the outdated attitudes.

open up the field

As sales consultants and field service technicians, our job is to help customers install new Green Mill Supercritical Extraction systems, and train the team that will oversee and manage the extraction process.

There is almost always a look of surprise when two women show up for installation and training. Sometimes it feels like people are waiting for the “guys” to come after us, carrying the heavy equipment and machinery needed for the installation. Then there’s usually another look of surprise when they see us hauling the machines ourselves.

So what can women do in cannabis tech? If you can, it can be helpful to connect with other women who use marijuana. The two of us were lucky because we found each other very quickly and immediately realized how unique it is to have women in these roles in cannabis.

We’ve all worked a lot in male-dominated professions, so we’re used to feeling a little isolated. However, working with other women and gaining the trust of clients is an incredible experience. In a way, we do feel a little bit like pioneers, and it’s always a pleasant surprise when we find other pioneers out there.

In a recent work with Alaska’s herbal extractwe were excited to discover the entire team of women cannabis entrepreneurs.

Lisa Coates, who co-owns this CO₂ Kenai’s Extraction Company and her husband, Buddy Crowder, have created an all-female cannabis team. We know that their extraction technicians are women and so are their operators. So when we found out that everyone else was female, we were excited to travel.

Coates said she had no intention of creating the all-female team at Herban Extracts. It just evolves over time. But she admits she enjoys working with women in the cannabis industry, which she says are “moving together.”

With an impressive and growing list of awards and accolades for its products, the team is proving that women, technology and cannabis are indeed a winning combination.

The usual one-day installation and training turned into three days of collaboration and community. We never met the team, but we made a quick connection and we felt that the camaraderie made for a great, comfortable experience. As women continue to enter the industry and more young women seek STEM education paths, we believe these exposures will become more common.

Change statistics

It doesn’t happen overnight, or without great persistence.

For example, see how quickly things can change. In 2019, a survey by MJBizDaily showed that a whopping 37% of executive-level cannabis positions were held by women. At the time, this was the highest percentage of any industry. But as mentioned, by 2021, that number has dropped significantly to just 22%.

according to National Girls Partnership Project, young girls are systematically steered away from science and math education, which helps explain the lack of women in the STEM workforce. This gender gap is emerging at an increasing rate in the fastest-growing industries of the future, including the cannabis industry.

Before we can close the gender gap, women in cannabis tech must find each other, support each other, learn from each other and encourage other young women to enter the field.

Also, when you’re working like a boss and someone asks to see the “person in charge,” try to answer as politely as possible. Eventually these issues will stop as we work together to expand the role of women in cannabis technology. Those ladies with brains and courage have a chance to be in power.