Missouri’s cannabis industry is taking off, but few women are running the companies fueling that growth. A new nonprofit based in St. Louis, We Are JAINE, aims to change that.
Co-President Tammy Puyear said the goal is to empower women to start new businesses and land leadership positions in the burgeoning sector. The organization will offer a directory of resources, host educational webinars and offer mentorship and networking opportunities.
Puyear, who is also a cannabis consultant, said the organization is filling a big need. She’s concerned about how much turnover she’s already seeing in Missouri’s new cannabis industry because women aren’t getting equitable treatment and opportunities.
“Cannabis is one of those industries in which there are a lot of people who have been investors and owners in traditional business, which are typically men,” she said, “and we find when that translates over and they go to start businesses in the cannabis industry, very often they bring with them some of the outdated and misogynistic habits of the past.”
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