Cannabis Science Conference Spring 2024: Keynote Speakers Allison Justice, PhD and Riley Kirk, PhD Discuss Women in the Cannabis Industry
Keynote presenters Drs. Allison Justice and Riley Kirk share how they have seen women effect change in the cannabis industry.
In honoring Women’s History Month, Cannabis Science Conference (CSC) Spring keynote speakers Drs. Allison Justice and Riley Kirk discuss the various roles of women in the cannabis industry, how they connect with each other, and the education they provide.
Dr. Justice conducts photobiology research and co-founded the Hemp Mine, an innovative hemp farm and product manufacturer. Dr. Kirk is a natural product chemist with a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences. She has previously presented on ongoing cannabis education and psychedelics at Cannabis Science Conference Fall 2023. Their keynote presentation at CSC in Kansas City, Missouri May 7–9, 2024, will bring us on a deep dive into their experiment, the Science of Smokeability (SOS), a multiphase experiment into the variables that contribute to the cannabis smoking experience.
Check out the video, read a snippet of the discussion below, and register here for Cannabis Science Conference Spring 2024!
Here, Drs. Justice and Kirk discuss their insights on women in the cannabis industry:
Allison Justice: So for me, growing up in a very male dominated industry—agriculture, horticulture—it's kind of been the norm. And cannabis being also agriculture, horticulture, it's always been in that realm of being male dominated. But what's been really cool for me to see, especially the past two years or so, is the community of women in this industry, that have come together on social media platforms, which was really kind of being that union for us. All with similar backgrounds, education, and just being a method to work together. Really, what's brought Riley and I together is ultimately connecting on Instagram and Tik Tok and whatnot, and saying, “oh, yeah, you like this, you do this? Well, let's get together and do something together.” And that's really where the SOS speared from is us women getting together and wanting to cause a bigger change.
Riley Kirk: I couldn't agree more, I was going say the same thing. When I go on social media…I am just always absolutely amazed by the educational skills that women have in this industry. And they're absolutely dominating the research and the education fields of cannabis specifically. I think a lot of that, as Allison saying, is we come from these male dominated fields. I was in academia before I was in the cannabis industry and Allison was in horticulture, and it's very male dominated, and that just kind of the norm. When we moved to cannabis, we really want to use our voices to boost each other up, because we've seen what happens when we don't have that luxury, essentially. An example is, with my podcast: if I am looking for an expert to talk on something, I am always going to look for a woman to speak on it, or some other marginalized community. And I often do still have men and that's totally fine—they are experts and they're great communicators, too. But there's so many women who are also just amazing at what they do, and they don't have the opportunity to show their voice in that way. So that's definitely a huge part of it.
And then I think another part is the cannabis plant. The part that we use is the female plant. It is like we're embracing femininity every single day, when we talk about this plant, and we talk about the beauty, we talk about the medicinal power. Women have always been healers in our society, that has often been the role of women in our society. I think that's really obvious in cannabis, because healing is not just, here's a drug. It's more of the nurturing, the empathy, the listening, treating people as a whole, treating the plant as a whole, and seeing where that intersection happens, and what other wellness tools and life skills can we learn to really embrace wellness and healing in ways other than just selling a product or pushing a drug. That's what women continue to be so good at, and it just shines in this industry so well.
Cannabis, US Presidential Election 2024, and Beyond: A Roundtable Discussion, Part II
December 17th 2024With the recent 2024 presidential election behind us, the future of cannabis still has many unknowns moving forward and questions still to be discussed. In this roundtable discussion with four knowledgeable industry leaders, we explore the nuanced political landscape of cannabis legalization and rescheduling in the context of the election, including state and federal policies and possible paths forward for testing standardization. Join us in the second part of a compilation of responses from Kim Anzarut, CQA, CP-FS, CEO of Allay Consulting; Susan Audino, PhD, founder of S.A. Audino & Associates, LLC; Zacariah Hildenbrand, PhD, research Professor at the University of Texas at El Paso; and David Vaillencourt, CEO of The GMP Collective.
Cannabis, US Presidential Election 2024, and Beyond: A Roundtable Discussion, Part I
December 16th 2024With the recent 2024 presidential election behind us, the future of cannabis still has many unknowns moving forward and questions still to be discussed. In this roundtable discussion with four knowledgeable industry leaders, we explore the nuanced political landscape of cannabis legalization and rescheduling in the context of the election. We discuss what drives support or opposition from both sides of the aisle, the complexities of balancing state and federal priorities, and more. Join us in the first part of a compilation of responses from Kim Anzarut, CQA, CP-FS, CEO of Allay Consulting; Susan Audino, PhD, founder of S.A. Audino & Associates, LLC; Zacariah Hildenbrand, PhD, research Professor at the University of Texas at El Paso; and David Vaillencourt, CEO of The GMP Collective.
Empowering Women in Cannabis: Susan Audino, PhD, on Inclusivity, Integrity, and Industry Challenges
December 11th 2024Founder of S. A. Audino & Associates, LLC, Susan Audino, PhD, recently co-founded Saturn Scientific, LLC, a collaboration of five experienced individuals providing unbiased evaluations on the data and science for stakeholders in the cannabis industry. In this interview with Cannabis Science and Technology, Dr. Audino shares her unexpected path into analytical science and the cannabis industry as well as the obstacles she’s faced throughout her career. She highlights the gender bias she’s observed, such as unequal recognition of credentials and workplace challenges, while advocating for inclusivity and mentorship to empower women in science. Additionally, Dr. Audino recounts her experiences of navigating the male-dominated cannabis space, pushing for transparency, collaboration, and integrity in laboratory practices. Ultimately, Audino believes fostering mutual respect and knowledge-sharing is vital for the industry’s growth and resilience.
Collaboration, Gender Diversity, and Progress: Julie Kowalski on Advancing Cannabis Science
December 10th 2024In this interview with Cannabis Science and Technology, Julie Kowalski, an experienced analytical chemist, discusses her path into the cannabis industry, starting with early work in gas chromatography. Kowalski reflects on her perspectives as a female scientist, highlighting biases she’s experienced and the benefits of gender inclusivity in the cannabis space. Greater unity and professionalism could benefit the industry as a whole, she explains. She also encourages collaboration and more women in leadership positions in order to build a stronger scientific community, and also urges women to advocate for themselves, noting that women in cannabis face unique obstacles but often demonstrate consensus-building strategies and solutions.
Gender Diversity and Innovation in the Cannabis Space: Insights from Tess Eidem, PhD
December 9th 2024Cannabis Science and Technology sat down with Tess Eidem, PhD, PCQI, member of Saturn Scientific, LLC, to discuss her journey from antibiotic research to cannabis microbiology and her observations throughout her career. Dr. Eidem highlights challenges women face in this male-dominated industry, including limited representation in leadership roles and frequent experiences of bias and discrimination. She emphasizes the importance of gender diversity in fostering innovation, improving product safety, and addressing women’s health needs in cannabis applications. Her advice to women scientists is to build strong professional relationships and carefully evaluate work environments to advance their careers in this evolving and often challenging space.
