In the United States, women drive about 70–80% of purchasing in today's consumer retail markets. From household essentials, to media consuption, to wellness products, women rule the free world with their wallets. Cannabis has subjectively been late to this conversation but due to the recent influx in popularity surrounding holistic wellness and real time analytics are becoming readily available, brands have no choice but to pay attention.
Historically, advertising has been unkind to women in our society. The feminine figure and likeability have been used to sell everything from chapstick to burgers in American culture — and the cannabis industry has followed suit. The early adult use markets leaned heavily into the misogyny with bikini-clad booth attendants, offensive strain names, and edgy publicity stunts designed to attract the adolescent and young adult male consumer.
This approach ignores the growing consumer base of women and patients who use cannabis and hemp derived products as a remedy for a broad spectrum of reasons besides getting “high” ranging from chronic pain to mental health support. They have also failed to recognize and invest in the rising number of female-led innovators, contrubutors, business owners as well as the average wellness-forward consumers looking for trust, education, and lifestyle alignment — and implementation, not gimmicks.
Despite the masculine proach the industry has created, women are shaping cannabis culture and enterprise from the ground up across the country, and a visible shift happening:
These trends point to one glaring fact, Women don’t want to just be “sold” cannabis — they want to be part of it.
Female focused initiatives is more than just another CPG product to scale— it’s a cultural movement. In a time when women’s access to reproductive care, health services, and bodily autonomy is increasingly under scrutiny, cannabis offers something radically simple and effective.
The cannabis industry has the power and ability to become a sanctuary of safety and innovation for women — but only if it chooses to center their needs, stories, and synergy.
So how do we get there? It starts with intentional representation — investing in diverse storytelling, amplifying female voices, and ensuring that women are present not just in campaigns but behind the scenes holding the power behind the decisions they will ultimately make at the register. Cannabis brands must also stop exclusively selling to females in non inclusive formats; feminine branding should reflect real people, real values, not just soft color palettes with pink bows or vague aging euphemisms. The industry needs to prioritize community over campaigns, recognizing that women connect through shared experiences like everyday self-care and holistic health routines — not a rebellious indulgence for a girls night out.
The message to women should be feminine, functional, and fierce. As we look to the future, we hope to see marketing teams mirror the customer base they’re actually courting. That means clearer communication support around cause and effect, more women in leadership roles, and a market embrace of broad spectrum consumption methods and experiences that resonate with everyday wellness seekers.
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