See our list of Canada’s top 10 female cannabis influencers

2) Lisa Campbell

Lisa was name a “Badass lady in the cannabiz” by Leafy which is actually a great description. She has done a lot of work in international drug policy during her position as the Outreach Director for Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy along with being the founder and chairwoman of Women Grow Toronto. Much of her work in drug policy takes inspiration in part from her family’s fight to end alcohol prohibition many decades ago. She is the CEO of Lifford Cannabis Solutions, and also the CMO for Vindica Cannabis Corporation.

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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3) Jamie Shaw

Jamie wears many hats in the cannabis industry. She currently serves as Government Relations Director for MMJ Canada, she is Director for the BC Independent Cannabis Association, and is also an advisor to NICHE Canada just to name a few. Previously, she was the director of the BC Compassion Club Society, and also was the President of the Canadian Association of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries. If that isn’t impressive enough she also co-founded the first Canadian chapter of Women Grow, has done extensive work with the Vancouver School Board and the Canadian AIDS Society on cannabis education, and is one of the authors of the Lift Retail Cannabis Training Course. She has also played a key role in the Allard trial and her testimony was deemed “very important” by Justice Phelan which lead to the quote “dispensaries are at the heart of access.” Lastly, she has done extensive successful lobbying for dispensary regulations in Vancouver and other BC municipalities.

Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

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4) Gill Polard

Gill has been a fan and user of cannabis for many years and has been actively working in the industry since 2013 in a wide variety of roles. She launched her blog, The Her(b) Life, in 2015 which explores the relationship women have with cannabis. She is also a co-host of the High Friends Podcast and a founding chair of Women Grow. She has been a huge supporter in the lead up to legalization for safe access to cannabis.

Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

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5) Allison McMahon

Allison is an expert in the area of cannabis in the workplace. Her credentials speak for themselves as she is is the CEO of Cannabis At Work and a certified Human Resource Professional. She also holds a Bachelor of Human Resources and Labour Relations. She previously served on the board for the Human Resources Institute of Alberta for 3 years and is also a former Term Instructor at the MacEwan University School of Business. Her work with Cannabis At Work started after 10 years of providing HR solutions to a wide array of customers across Canada. Her and her team are now the leading source for cannabis jobs, recruitment services, online industry training, and workplace impairment training in Canada.

Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

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6) Rebecca Brown

Rebecca has spent decades in the marketing and advertising industry with a proven track record of innovation and building new agency models. She is the founder of Crowns, a full service consulting agency for the global cannabis industry. They have become global experts around cannabis marketing and designing solutions to grow brands in the cannabis industry within the constraints of regulation. She has an extensive speaking resume, is a marketing instructor at Miami Ad School, and a contributing writer to numerous media outlets.

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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7) Abi Roach

Abi has a very impressive portfolio of business ventures centred around cannabis. Her mini empire includes Hot Box , a hydroponics store, Spliff Magazine, along with a bud-and-breakfast tour company in Jamaica. It may come as no surprise that she is a member of the Cannabis Friendly Business Association. She is also an active advocate for cannabis who has spent much of her time lobbying local politicians for the rights of cannabis users.

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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8) Barinder Rasode

Barinder Rasode is another female leader in the Canadian cannabis field. Vancouver Magazine ranked her as one of the 50 most powerful people in Vancouver. She is the President and CEO of NICHE Canada, her not-for-profit organization that focuses on providing evidence-based research around cannabis production in Canada. She also on the Board of Directors for Fraser Health which offers guidance and support to one of largest health authorities in British Columbia. Her resume is just as impressive outside of the cannabis industry. She has substantial experience in working with various levels of government and the private sector to facilitate an informed dialogue around emerging challenges for British Columbia’s future. She served two terms as an elected councillor for the City of Surrey and also co-founded and acts as Advisory Committee Chair for She Talks, a unique series of conferences that features women sharing stories of transformation, leadership, and advice on how to thrive in a changing world.

Location: Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

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9) Manisha Krishnan

Manisha is best known for her role as senior writer and host for VICE. She has extensively covered a wide variety of topics around all this cannabis and is not afraid to be the first to offer an opinion on any topic. Her journalism-based coverage has heavily focused on the black market side of the industry and with new legalization in Canada, expect a lot more to come on this front from her. Prior to working with Vice, she acted as a reporter for the Calgary Herald, Macleans, and the Toronto Star.

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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