Breaking the Grass Ceiling: Women of Weed (Part 1)

Before cannabis was legal in California, it was women who often worked behind the counters, ran the operations, and pushed for progress—yet were rarely recognized as leaders. In this powerful first part of our two-part series, we revisit one of the earliest public panels on women in cannabis hosted by UCLA’s CannaClub, the first student-led cannabis organization in the country.

Moderated by CannaClub co-founder Maha Haq, the panel features trailblazers who helped shape the industry: Ophelia Chong, Dr. Brandi Cross, and Felicia Carbajal. From fighting stigma in their families to redefining professional representation, these women share personal stories that reveal the resilience it took to break into an emerging and often male-dominated industry.

This episode also includes a GBL TV Quick Hit video spotlighting the feminine power of the plant, a featured documentary pick—Mary Janes: The Women of Weed—and consumer insights on how to support female-founded and gender equity-driven cannabis brands.

What You’ll Learn:

• What it was like to be a woman working in cannabis pre-legalization

• How women pushed back against stereotypes and stigma

• The origin and mission of UCLA’s pioneering CannaClub

• Tips for identifying and supporting equity-driven cannabis brands

• The importance of female-led storytelling and documentaries like Mary Janes