Breaking the “Grass Ceiling”: Local Women in Cannabis

The cannabis industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in America right now, with everyone looking to capitalize upon relaxed regulations around hemp and cannabis across the country. From the beginning, however, the industry has been dominated by white males, despite women and minorities accounting for a significant percentage of cannabis users as well.

But in recent years, the gender gap has started to close with the help of hard-working female innovators who have found their niche within the industry. It’s an improvement, but there’s still plenty of work to be done.

Here in Jacksonville, as the hemp and medical cannabis markets grow rapidly statewide, several local women have already made their impact upon the local and national cannabis industry – and they’re just getting started.

We’ve profiled three local women who are determined to make their mark upon the growing industry – and open doors for other women with dreams of breaking through the “grass ceiling.”

Alex Klempf – Founder of SipCozy

Jacksonville native Alex Klempf is the founder of SipCozy, a company that sells alcohol-free, cannabis-infused wine. Each bottle contains 40 milligrams of hemp extract, allowing consumers to enjoy the taste of grenache blend rosé with the added benefit of CBD infusion, and without the intoxicating effects of THC or alcohol.

Klempf was inspired by her enjoyment of wine, her passion about the benefits of CBD, and the desire to help others share in those two passions.

What does it mean to be a woman in the cannabis industry?

The cannabis industry is still very dominated by men, but it is also growing, developing, and changing every day. It is so inspiring to see how other women are creating their own spaces within the industry. Most people still haven’t wrapped their heads around the notion that there are other customers than just the 18- to 30-year-old male stoner. Female cannabis consumers are out there, and they want quality products with quality ingredients.

SipCozy has given me an opportunity to be a voice as a female entrepreneur in the cannabis industry. More importantly, I get to hear directly from my female customers and learn more about what they want in a product. I have been so fortunate on my journey to meet so many women who are doing incredible things for the industry, and it inspires me to always want to collaborate and learn. I also am so thankful for the women in the industry who have taken moments to give me advice. I make sure to do the same when women come to me.

What do you hope for in terms of cannabis business opportunities in Jacksonville?

I’d like to see the stigma around cannabis use become less taboo in Jacksonville. I’d like to see more incubation and support of cannabis start-up companies, as well as more city incentives for cannabis companies that want to locate to Jacksonville and encourage job creation. I also think it would be great to see a cannabis convention, conference, or trade show here in the city.

How do you hope your business will help achieve those goals for the local industry?

I think just getting out there and letting people know that we are here and educating our customers about cannabis. I think everything starts with education. I would love to start a networking event where people within the industry in Jacksonville could meet and connect.

Brianna Kilcullen – Founder of Anact

Local native Brianna Kilcullen founded Anact, a company that creates towels made from 55% hemp. By using less cotton, Anact’s towels save up to 526 days of water, as hemp requires significantly less water to grow.

Through Anact, Kilcullen focuses on conscious capitalism and sustainability. She hopes to soon partner with local farmers to produce other hemp-based products such as yarn.

What does it mean to be a woman in the cannabis industry?

It means everything. In buzzy industries such as cannabis (pun intended), there are usually specific demographics and financial standings that reap the most benefits. Being a female founder and breaking up that homogenous culture, while also identifying ways that hemp can be used to solve problems and inspire others, can be tough. I remember going to my first hemp conference in April 2018. I was one of several women in a thousand plus group convention and one of the only women who was a business owner. I remember running into another woman who was the former executive director of the Hemp Industry Association. We instantly became friends because we knew how rare it was and that we needed to have each other’s backs.

I believe it is our responsibility as female founders in this industry to show others, both men and women alike, that if you have a product or service and a vision that is needed, then you can do it. Hemp is a part of the story but not the end all be all.

What do you hope for in terms of cannabis business opportunities in Jacksonville?

Legislation for hemp was passed in Florida in 2019. We are about four years behind states like Colorado, Oregon, and California, who implemented progressive legislation legalizing hemp and marijuana…. so in a nutshell, we have a lot to do to catch-up. This can be especially difficult to do because of two reasons: Jacksonville primarily focuses on finance, hospitals and logistic- based companies, and cannabis is still a taboo word here, and there is a huge lack of education and awareness. 

That’s why we need more education on cannabis, marijuana, and hemp and the market opportunities and benefits that they offer. Specifically for Jacksonville, I would love to see those incarcerated for cannabis have their charges removed and be offered first rights in creating cannabis-focused businesses here locally in the name of social equity. I would also love to work with Northeast Florida farmers to identify seed for fiber and grow it for our towels so that we could produce locally. I’d also like to denote that it’s important that we support Floridian owned companies because there are many organizations outside of Florida that want to invest here without any connection to the community. Long-term, I think it would be pretty cool to have each part of the process be Florida-based and for consumers to see how the Anact towels are made from farm to factory. 

How do you hope your business will help achieve those goals for the local industry?

Anact represents the market opportunity.  Farmers, investors, and processors are not going to invest in a crop or infrastructure until they see the demand.  That’s why we believe it is our job to partner with the best factory partners in the world to create a quality product that allows us to build demand and thereby demonstrating the incentive to produce domestically.  We get a lot of criticism for not producing in the United States, but the reality is that the infrastructure doesn’t exist to produce here. If American customers want domestically manufactured products then they are going to have to buy it where the infrastructure exists in the short-term to bring it home in the future. 

Sally Peebles – Partner at Vicente Sederberg LLP

Jax native Sally Peebles approaches the industry from a different point of view, focusing on cannabis law and policy. She began practicing cannabis law at the Denver office of her firm, Vicente Sederberg LLP, before coming home to open the firm’s Jacksonville office in 2018. As a member of the state’s Medical Cannabis Advisory Board since last year, Peebles is now a leading voice on cannabis law and policy in Florida, helping clients navigate state and federal laws involving hemp and cannabis.

What does it mean to be a woman in the cannabis industry?

Unlike other industries that are steeped in a traditional male-dominated hierarchy, the young and vibrant cannabis industry provides a fresh clean slate for women to go head to head with men in business, and they are dominating. My client roster is proof that the cannabis industry is filled with powerful females – from executives to scientists to attorneys to cultivators, and the support we provide to each other is palpable. My law firm, Vicente Sederberg, is entirely focused on the cannabis industry and the founders have always been incredibly supportive of their women members and leaders. I am honored to have the platform they have provided to me. 

What do you hope for in terms of cannabis business opportunities in Jacksonville?

Now is a great time for those in Jacksonville to enter the hemp industry. In the last few months, the Florida Department of Agriculture finalized its rules surrounding hemp cultivation and the sale and distribution of hemp extract. I would love to see local Jacksonville agriculturists grow hemp in and around Jacksonville and be able to sell their hemp to local hemp processors and manufacturers, providing an economic boom to the local economy. This is a fresh new industry for Jacksonville that offers an incredible opportunity for growth. Those who get in now have the chance to establish their brand and product early on.

How do you hope your business will help achieve those goals for the local industry?

I am the Vice-Chair of the Florida Department of Agriculture’s medical marijuana advisory board and a lot of that work overlaps with the hemp industry’s goals. I am currently working with several clients in Jacksonville, as well as nationally, to help establish their hemp businesses and ensure they are compliant. There are many CBD retailers in Jacksonville that need to make sure they are following the new state rules. It would be wonderful if Jacksonville could light the way for the rest of the state and have the most robust and compliant hemp industry in Florida.