High Times

women of influence

MIRRORED BY SOCIETY, THE PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN media and in boardrooms has only continued to become more inclusive in recent years. In a 2019 survey of CEOs and Human Resource representatives in the cannabis industry by Vangst, 38.6 percent identified as female, and 43.3 percent of respondents said women constituted the majority of their companies. Not only are we nurturers, mothers and teachers, aswomen, we are also business leaders, disrupters, activists and visionaries. And when it comes to the cannabis industry, female leadership and creative thinking continues to push both our community and products to entirely new heights, ensuring that the environment is welcoming and inclusive of everyone. For this reason and more, we’re dedicating the month of November to celebrating the accomplishments of leading females and women-led brands in the…

letters

SHARING IS CARING For once, I’m pretty stoked to be getting together with my fam for Thanksgiving. (Keeping it real with you—I’m gearing up to chow down on some of my grandma’s BOMB corn casserole.) A lot of newbies tried weed during the pandemic, and I want to share some of my stash with my family members who may be finally showing interest in herb. How do I bring that up without getting attacked or called an amotivational loser? -Danny, LA RESPONSE: Family is everything, my man—unless they’re toxic, then cut that shit out of your life ASAP—but hell yeah, we hope you have the best holiday ever hanging with grandma smoking a jay. Simply put, let it be known to your fellow adults, in a polite manner, of course, that you’re willing…

internet

GALLUP FORWARD Almost half of adults in the United States said they have tried marijuana, according to the results of a Gallup Poll released on August 15. At 49 percent, the number is the highest figure that Gallup has recorded in its more than 50 years of asking Americans about consumption habits. When Gallup first began surveying Americans about cannabis in 1969, only four percent of adults said that they had tried marijuana. Since then—the rate has increased steadily, rising to more than 20 percent in the 1977 survey. About one-third of adults surveyed in 1985 said that they had tried marijuana, and by 2015 the percentage had surpassed 40 percent. Gallup noted that much of the increase in marijuana usage over the last 50 years can be explained by generational…

finding data in the weed

BETWEEN THE TUMULT OF A HISTORICALLY CONTROVERSIAL ONE-TERM United States presidency and two years of COVID-19 that have occurred since Giadha A. DeCarcer decided to get into the legal cannabis industry, it can be difficult to recall how much has changed since then, whether in the business space, policy arena or general social acceptance. By 2014, DeCarcer had already established a career through 20 years of experience in business execution, management and strategic business development with an emphasis on emerging markets. A half-Cuban/half-Italian immigrant fluent in five languages, she had gained her professional chops through each of the defense technology, and telecommunications sectors before working in investment banking for JPMorgan Chase in Manhattan and London, and running Florida-based First Federal Transportation as its co-founder and chief operating officer. So, when she realized…

brothers in arms

AARON AUGUSTIS’ PASSION FOR FIGHTING veteran suicide is trulysecond to none. As an activist from the state with the most veterans in the union, aka California, this Bay Area-native is fighting for veterans everywhere. Augustis served on active duty in the US Army for five years as a Combat Engineer, Team Leader Sergeant and enlisted in June of 1998. He deployed to Mosul, Iraq in 2003 with the 37th Engineer Battalion Combat Airborne out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. His experience in Iraq led to his current efforts advocating for veterans to have access to medical cannabis for their service-connected disabilities, especially combat-related PTSD. Many veterans activists begin their activism after their military service. Augustis is no exception—he stepped up to start, operate and found two separate organizations following the conclusion of…

gift of doja

GIFT OF DOJA (G.O.D) IS A WOMEN-OF-COLOR-CREATED CANNABIS EQUITY brand—specializing in honoring the vibe of “all beings and all things.” G.o.D’s terpene-rich phenotypes can be found at many dispensaries throughout greater San Francisco and Los Angeles, or via various delivery services in the Bay Area. G.o.D Curator Nina Parks enjoys being a steward of sacred plant medicines and the Divine Feminine—for her, it’s a calling. G.o.D curates small-batch cannabis grown by farmers from across California who choose to cultivate under processes using love and intention. You can find strains such as HER-lato, grown by Growing Tree Farms in Grass Valley, or Michelle Obama Kush, grown by a woman-owned cultivation site in Salinas Valley. The brand came together in 2020, when Parks was inspired to start a business in spite of the odds.…