FEMALE CANNABIS PIONEERS

> CANNABIS.

IT'S A BURGEONING NEW INDUSTRY THAT SOME SAY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CHANGE THE WAY WE TREAT AILMENTS AND REVOLUTIONIZE THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY.

WITH NEW BUSINESS COMES NEW PROBLEMS.

WHILE LAWMAKERS IN ALBANY HAVE LOOKED AT WHETHER OR NOT TO MAKE RECREATIONAL USE LEGAL, ONE ORGANIZATION, WOMEN GROW, WANTS TO MAKE SURE THE INDUSTRY DOESN'T BECOME ANOTHER MALE DOMINATED BUSINESS.

THEY'RE PROVIDING SUPPORT TO WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS SO THERE WON'T BE A GLASS CEILING TO BREAK LATER ON.

WE WANT TO SEE MORE WOMEN IN THE FOREFRONT OF THIS INDUSTRY.

WE'RE LOOKING TO CULTIVATE BUSINESS LEADERS WHO ARE GOING TO EITHER LEAD OUR BUSINESSES, COME UP WITH YOUR NEXT ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESSFUL PHASE.

WHO ARE LOOKING TO PERHAPS HOLD SEAT ON THESE CORPORATE BOARDS THAT ARE ESTABLISHING THEMSELVES IN THE INDUSTRY.

THIS IS THE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF WOMEN GROW, A PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO EMPOWERING AND INSPIRING WOMEN INTERESTED IN THE BURGEONING CANNABIS INDUSTRY.

SO HERE WE ARE.

WE HAVE THE BRAND NEW INDUSTRY THAT IS JUST MATURING NOW.

RIGHT?

WE'RE AT THE INFANCY STAGE.

WHY NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUES WE ALREADY SEE?

WE SEE MEN AT THE FOREFRONT.

AND HONESTLY, WE SEE MORE WHITE MEN AT THE FOREFRONT.

AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE WOMEN AT THE FOREFRONT.

AND WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR SOCIETY ACROSS THE BOARD BE REFLECTED IN THE INDUSTRY.

ONE COMPANY THAT EMBODIES FEMALE DRIVES IN THE CANNABIS BUSINESS IS NEW YORK STATE'S ONLY FEMALE OWNED MEDICAL MARIJUANA LICENSEE.

THE COMPANY HAS DISPENSARIES ACROSS THE STATE AND THE PRODUCTION FACILITY IS LOCATED IN CHESTERTOWN IN THE SOUTH EASTERN ADIRONDACKS.

IT WAS FOUNDED BY THREATEN MEMBERS OF THE PECKHAM FAMILY.

I THINK PARTICULARLY IN THE MEDICAL MARINE INDUSTRY, IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE WOMEN REPRESENTATION.

WOMEN ARE OFTEN THE CARE TAKERS.

AFTER WATCHING HER MOM CARE FOR A DYING GRANDPARENT, IT WAS A DOCTOR WHO SUGGESTED THE PECKHAMS CONSIDER MEDICAL MARIJUANA AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO ALLEVIATE ALL THE SIDE EFFECTS FOR MULTIPLE PHARMACEUTICAL PRESCRIPTIONS.

BUT HILLARY AND HER MOM KNEW, IF THEY WERE GOING TO START A COMPANY, THEY WANTED TO KEEP WOMEN AT THE FOREFRONT.

IT SHOULD BE MORE THAN JUST 1 IN 10 AS A WOMEN-OWNED COMPANY.

I THINK MORE WOMEN ARE TRYING TO GET INVOLVED.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE DOT COM BOOM, IT LOOKED LIKE WOMEN WOULD GET INVOLVED AND THAT WAS A REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM BUT IT TURNED OUT THAT WASN'T WHERE A LOT OF THE INITIAL SKILL SET, OR THE INVESTMENT COULD COME SO WOMEN ARE NOT REPRESENT IN TECH.

NOT ONLY IS THE FOCUS ON THE MEDICAL USE OF CANNABIS, THE COMPANY IS KEEPING AN EYE ON THE DEVELOPING RECREATIONAL LEGISLATION.

SO IT LOOKS LIKE NEW YORK IS AT LEAST CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITY OF LEGALIZING MARIJUANA USE FOR EVERYONE IN THE STATE.

AND WE'RE DEFINITELY EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY.

AND AS A COMPANY, WE'RE VERY PASSIONATE.

NO MATTER WHAT DIVISION MEDICAL OR OUR ADULT USE, THAT PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO SAFE AND HIGH QUALITY CANNABIS.

AND TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS REGULATED IN A WAY THAT THE CONSUMER IS PROTECTED.

ON THIS SIDE, THERE IS A MESH FILTER.

WALKING THROUGH THE UPSTATE FACILITY, HILLARY SHOWS OFF THE NURSERY AND GREENHOUSE.

THESE MANHUNTS O, THESE PLAN ONLY HAVE ONE LIFE CYCLE.

YOU WILL SEE THESE ONES I SHOWED YOU.

THEY ARE MUCH SMALLER.

THEY START TO PRODUCE THIS.

THESE AREAS HERE, THEY HAVE THE HIGHEST CONTENT OFWHAT WE EXTRA OUT OF THE PLANT.

ONCE THEY REACH THE FINAL STAGE, WE HARVEST THEM AND WE TAKE BUD OFF OF THEM AND THEN THAT IS DRIED AND PUT INTO WHAT WE CALL THE PACKET.

SO YOU WILL TAKE A SAMPLE HERE AND THIS IS NOT READY YET FOR EXTRACTION.

BUT YOU WILL SEE THAT IT IS FILLED WITH BUDS.

IT IS COMPLETELY DRIED.

AND THEN IT IS GROUND AND MADE INTO THESE EXTRACTION PACKS THAT ALLOW FOR US TO GET MORE MERCURIAL INTO OUR MACHINE TO GET ALL THE OIL OUT AND START TO DO SOME PRODUCTS.

EACH TEAM PRODUCES OIL EXTRACTIONS INTO DIFFERENT FORMS AND THEY ARE ARRANGED BY THEIR THC OR CBD LEVELS.

SHE REMEMBERS WHAT IT WAS LIKE AS IT FIRST GOT OFF THE GROUND.

WE WOULD WALK INTO A MEETING.

IT WAS MALE DOMINATED AND NO ONE WAS LOOKING AT THEM.

THEY WERE SPEAKING WITH ME.

FIRST I CAN TELL YOU AS A YOUNG WOMAN, IT HAS BEEN MUCH HARDER, I THINK FOR ME THAN MALE PEERS TO GAIN RESPECT AND GET JUST INVESTMENT MONEY.

I'LL BE TALKING TO THEM AND THEY SAY THINGS LIKE, OH, YOU'RE SURE SPUNKY.

HAVE YOU TALKED TO JOHN DOE OVER HERE?

HE SEEMS LIKE A REAL BUSINESSMAN.

IT IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF BUSINESS WOMEN GROW WANTS TO SEE MORE OF.

AS MORE STATES MOVE TOWARD MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION.

TO ENSURE MORE WOMEN ARE ABLE TO GET INTO THE BUSINESS, THEY SAY WOMEN GROW INTENTIONALLY ADDRESSES START-UP ISSUES LIKE LICENSING, LEGAL ADVICE, ADVERTISING AND THE ALL IMPORTANT START-UP INGREDIENT, CAPITAL.

YOU CAN'T GET A LOAN IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY.

AS OF RIGHT NOW IT IS STILL FEDERALLY ILLEGAL.

SO THE FUNDING AND THE CAPITAL TO SUPPORT THESE BUSINESSES REALLY HAS TO COME FROM PRIVATE INVESTMENTS.

AND THIS IS WHERE WOMEN STRUGGLE.

BOTH AGREE THAT NEW YORK IS IN A UNIQUE POSITION TO MAKE ITS LEGISLATION FOR LEGALIZATION FAIR AND EQUITABLE TO ALL.

FOR HILLARY, THAT STARTS WITH EQUAL ACCESS TO CAPITAL AND SUPPORT TO GROW.

AS YOU SEE MORE STANDARDIZED INVESTMENT, I THINK IT WILL BE EVEN MORE MALE DOMINATED.

WHICH IS WHY I THINK IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WOMEN GET INVOLVED NOW.

THAT WOULD HELP MAKE SURE THERE IS A VOICE THAT CARRIES.

WE'RE TRYING EXPAND NATIONALLY.

WE JUST GOT LICENSED IN CALIFORNIA.

SO WE'RE HOPING TO KEEP GROWING THE COMPANY AND SETTING THE GOAL OF ALWAYS BEING WOMEN OWNED AND ALWAYS HAVING WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP.

FOR 'METROFOCUS.'

I'M JENA FLANNIGAN.