In this episode of the Women in Cannabusiness Podcast, Olivia sits down with Shelbie Vasquez, Sales and Marketing professional at Beyond Legends Distribution, to discuss building a career fueled by passion, authentic relationships, and community.

Shelbie shares her journey from starting as a Brand Ambassador with Yummi Karma in 2018 to representing a growing portfolio of cannabis brands through Beyond Legends Distribution, including Pretty Dope, Side Hustle, Crave, Daily Dose, Yummi Karma, and High Gorgeous. Along the way, she reflects on how sales, marketing, networking, and storytelling have shaped her career and opened doors throughout the industry.

In addition to her work in distribution and brand development, Shelbie is also a podcast host with Respect My Region, where she spotlights the people, brands, and stories driving cannabis culture forward. Together, Olivia and Shelbie discuss balancing full-time work with podcasting, the importance of building genuine connections, and what it means to create opportunities for women in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Shelbie also shares the advice she would give her younger self and why staying passionate about the plant and the community has led to a career she truly loves.

Whether you're just entering the cannabis industry, building your personal brand, or looking to grow your career, this episode is a reminder that curiosity, consistency, and authentic relationships can take you further than you ever imagined.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who is building their own career in cannabis.

Beyond Legends Distribution connects innovative cannabis brands with retailers across California through wholesale distribution, sales, and strategic marketing support. Their family of brands includes Pretty Dope, Side Hustle, Crave, Daily Dose, Yummi Karma, and High Gorgeous, helping consumers discover premium products while giving emerging brands the support they need to grow.

Follow Shelbie: @shlebie.xoxo

Follow We R Legends: @beprettydope  

Launching a cannabis brand is hard. Driving sell-through and securing re-orders is even harder.

CannaWorld is a premier wholesale brokerage and cannabis marketing agency dedicated to helping brands successfully launch and scale in legal markets. Beyond traditional brokerage, CannaWorld provides experienced brand ambassadors, sales representatives, budtender education, retail activations, and consumer marketing that help products move off the shelf—not just onto it.

By integrating directly with retailers, dispensary staff, budtenders, and consumers, CannaWorld creates the awareness and urgency brands need to drive long-term retail success. The team proudly prioritizes women-owned, LGBTQ+, local, and minority-owned brands across every legal market.

Learn more at ShopCannaWorld.com or call 508-813-7963.

What does it take to build a lasting career in cultivation while staying true to the plant, the science, and the culture?

In this episode of Women in CannaBusiness, Olivia sits down with Sue Carlton (@rancheramami), cultivator, educator, and advocate whose journey spans Oregon's early medical market, large-scale cultivation, genetics preservation, and building a family-run farm in Central Valley California.

Known for making complex cultivation topics accessible, Sue shares how she got her start with a small grow license, what she's learned from decades of hands-on experience, and why education remains one of the most powerful tools in the industry today.

Together, Olivia and Sue discuss the realities of working in cultivation, navigating spaces where women remain underrepresented, the importance of mentorship, preserving legacy genetics, and how the next generation of growers can build sustainable careers in agriculture.

Whether you're a cultivator, entrepreneur, industry professional, or simply fascinated by the people behind the plant, Sue's story is a powerful reminder that success is built through persistence, curiosity, and a willingness to keep growing.

In this episode, you'll learn: • How Sue got her start in Oregon's early cultivation market • Lessons from scaling from a small grow license to larger cultivation operations • Why preserving genetics matters for the future of the industry • The realities of being a woman in cultivation • How mentorship and community can accelerate growth • Why education continues to shape the next generation of operators

🎙 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Follow Sue: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/Rancheramami/⁠

Live from Hall of Flowers Ventura with Angie Macaraeg, VP of Sales & Marketing at Encore Labs

Recorded onsite at the Hall of Flowers Pre-Show Mixer hosted by Beard Bros Pharms in Ventura, California, this episode features a conversation with Angie Macaraeg, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Encore Labs.

Since entering the cannabis industry in 2018, Angie has worked her way from customer service to executive leadership, helping shape the growth of one of California's leading ISO-accredited cannabis testing laboratories. Today, she oversees sales strategy, client relationships, marketing initiatives, business development, and multi-state expansion efforts across California and Arizona.

In this episode, Angie shares her journey through the cannabis industry, the evolving role of laboratory testing, and why quality assurance, compliance, and transparency are more important than ever for brands looking to succeed in today's market. We also discuss the challenges operators face navigating regulations, the importance of building trusted partnerships, and how education continues to drive industry progress.

Whether you're a brand owner, operator, service provider, or simply curious about the behind-the-scenes systems that help keep the cannabis industry safe and compliant, this conversation offers valuable insights from a leader helping shape the future of cannabis testing.

Connect with Angie & Encore Labs:

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In the premiere episode of Season 6 of The Women in CannaBusiness Podcast, host Olivia Castaldy sits down with Annie Fleshman, Vice President of Marketing and founding marketer at Flowhub, live from Hall of Flowers Ventura.

Since joining Flowhub in 2018, Annie has helped transform the company into one of the most trusted cannabis retail technology platforms in the United States. In this conversation, she shares her perspective on the evolution of cannabis retail, the challenges dispensaries face in today's market, and how technology can help operators create more efficient, profitable businesses.

Annie also discusses her journey from SaaS marketing into cannabis, lessons learned from scaling high-growth companies, and why education and retailer empowerment remain at the heart of Flowhub's mission.

Whether you're a dispensary operator, cannabis entrepreneur, marketer, or industry professional, this episode offers valuable insights into the technology shaping the future of cannabis retail.

Topics Covered:

Connect with Annie Fleshman:

Learn More About Flowhub:

Follow The Women in CannaBusiness Podcast:

#CannabisRetail #CannabisTechnology #DispensaryOperations #CannabisIndustry #Flowhub #WomenInCannabis #CannabisMarketing #HallOfFlowers #CannabisBusiness #WomenInCannaBusiness

To close out our Season 5: Heavy Hitters, we’re joined by one of the most legendary pioneers in the history of the plant, Mila Jansen, also known as The Hash Queen.

From the early days of cannabis culture in Amsterdam…

Mila’s story is one of resilience, curiosity, and building a life far outside the boundaries placed on women at the time.

In this conversation, she shares what it looked like to navigate male-dominated and often illegal markets across continents, how her innovations helped shape modern hash culture, and the perspective she’s gained after decades in the space.

This episode is more than a conversation, it’s living history, and the perfect way to close out a season dedicated to the women who have made a lasting impact on this industry.

In this episode, we cover:

Notable Quotes:

Follow Mila Jansen & Learn More:

Order Mila's Book, "How I Became the Hash Queen": https://www.amazon.com/How-became-Hash-Queen-English/dp/2845942451

Season 5 Sponsor — OCM Digital Marketing

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Women in CannaBusiness

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In this episode of Women in CannaBusiness, we sit down with Rachelle Gordon, Managing Editor of GreenState, to explore the deeply personal experiences that shaped her path into cannabis journalism and advocacy.

A driving force behind Rachelle’s work is her passion for the medical potential of cannabis, especially for neurological conditions and seizure disorders. After watching her father struggle with his health without ever having access to cannabis as a potential option, in addition to being arrested for possession in Minnesota, she’s become committed to amplifying patient stories, lived experiences, and the real impact this plant can have.

Rachelle shares how a 2011 arrest redirected her career from education into cannabis, ultimately leading her to become one of the most trusted voices in the space. Through storytelling and honest reporting, she’s helping shape a more informed, responsible, and human-centered cannabis industry.

We also get into the conversations most people avoid, balancing advocacy with accountability, including the importance of educating consumers on both the benefits and risks, like Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome.

This episode also explores what it really looks like to be a woman in cannabis today: navigating challenges, building confidence, and finding community in a still male-dominated industry.

You’ll also hear:

Rachelle’s story is a reminder that advocacy isn’t just about policy—it’s about people, stories, and the voices that deserve to be heard.

00:00 – Introduction to Rachelle Gordon

09:49 – Advice for women entering the industry

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelle-gordon

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachellethewriter

GreenState: https://www.greenstate.com

This episode is sponsored by OCM Digital Marketing.

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In this episode of The Women in CannaBusiness Podcast, we sit down with Tamara Anderson, founder of Culinary & Cannabis, an interactive cannabis event production company redefining how people experience plant medicine through food, wellness, and education.

With a unique background as both a registered nurse and pastry chef, Tamara shares how her personal journey, including her son’s experience—reshaped her perspective on cannabis and led her to build a brand rooted in healing, accessibility, and elevated experiences.

From hosting luxury cannabis-infused culinary events to creating safe, inclusive spaces for education, Tamara is on a mission to break stigma and help both canna-curious individuals and experienced consumers feel confident exploring the plant.

We dive into the realities of navigating the cannabis industry as a woman of color, the importance of authentic storytelling in building a brand, and how she’s scaling Culinary & Cannabis globally while staying grounded in purpose.

This episode is a powerful reminder that your background, your story, and your “why” can become the foundation for something truly impactful.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/culinaryandcannabis

OCM Digital Marketing is a full-service marketing partner helping brands grow through strategy, content, and paid media. From startups to scaling brands, we focus on building marketing systems that drive real results.

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In this powerful episode of Women in CannaBusiness, we sit down with Nikki Lawley,patient advocate, speaker, and founder of Nikki and the Plant, to explore her deeply personal journey from healthcare provider to patient, and ultimately, to one of the most impactful voices in the industry.

After a life-altering injury in 2016, Nikki went from being a pediatric nurse to navigating a broken medical system, seeing over 50 doctors, being on over 10+ pharmaceuticals at a time, battling debilitating symptoms, and facing the harsh realities of traditional treatment. At her lowest point, she found herself questioning everything… until one unexpected experience with plant medicine changed the trajectory of her life forever.

What followed was not just healing, but purpose.

Nikki shares how she became what she calls a “medical cannabis refugee,” traveling across borders just to access the relief she couldn’t find at home, and how that journey led her to discover the true power of the plant, not just THC, but the full spectrum of compounds working together.

Today, Nikki is a leading advocate for patients, working to raise awareness around invisible illness, disability, and the importance of education, access, and authenticity in the space.

In this episode, we dive into:

The moment that shifted everything for Nikki. and gave her a reason to keep going

What it really feels like to not be heard in the traditional medical system

The misconceptions around plant medicine and how education changes everything

Why patient stories are one of the most powerful tools we have

The realities of working in the industry from stigma to sales to advocacy

What it truly means to be your authentic self in cannabis and beyond

This conversation is raw, honest, and deeply human. reminding us that healing doesn’t always look the way we expect, and that sometimes, the hardest chapters lead to the most meaningful purpose.

🔗 Connect with Nikki Lawley:

Website:⁠ www.nikkiandtheplant.org⁠

All Links:⁠ https://linktr.ee/Nikkilawley⁠

Instagram: @nikkiandtheplant

LinkedIn: ⁠Nikki Lawley⁠

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In Season 5, Episode 4 of Women in CannaBusiness, we’re joined by Sara Payan, award-winning educator, strategist, and one of the most influential voices in the cannabis industry today.

With over a decade of experience and more than 20,000 hours guiding consumers, Sara has built a reputation for advancing education, shaping policy, and normalizing plant medicine through storytelling and advocacy. She is the host of the Emjay Award-winning podcast Planted with Sara Payan, Vice-Chair of the California State Cannabis Advisory Committee, and Partner & VP of PR Strategy at Pulse Signal Agency.

In this episode, Sara shares her journey from corporate into cannabis, how her personal health experience shaped her path, and why education is the foundation of a responsible and thriving industry.

We talk about the realities of working in cannabis today—from stigma and policy to community, mentorship, and what it really takes to build a meaningful career in this space.

If you’re looking to better understand the cannabis industry, grow your network, or step into your voice as a woman in this space, this episode is for you.

What we cover:

Key Takeaways:

Connect with Sara Payan:

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Jane West is one of the most recognizable names in the cannabis industry, and for good reason.

In this episode of Women in CannaBusiness, host Olivia Castaldy sits down with trailblazing entrepreneur, advocate, and founder Jane West to discuss her journey from working in international relations and event planning to becoming one of the most influential women in cannabis.

After appearing on CNBC during the early days of Colorado’s legalization, Jane unexpectedly lost her corporate job, a turning point that ultimately launched her career in cannabis entrepreneurship. From there, she founded Women Grow, the national networking organization that helped bring thousands of women into the cannabis industry.

Today, Jane leads the Jane West lifestyle brand, known for sophisticated, design-forward cannabis accessories created for the modern consumer.

In this conversation, Jane shares the realities of building a business in an emerging industry, the power of community and networking, and the lessons she’s learned over a decade of leadership in cannabis.

If you're interested in entrepreneurship, cannabis advocacy, women in business, or building meaningful brands, this episode is full of insights and inspiration.

00:00 Introduction to Jane West and Her Journey

Website: https://www.janewest.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejanewest

OCM Digital Marketing is a full-service digital marketing agency helping brands grow through strategic storytelling, paid media, SEO, social media, and website development.

From emerging startups to established brands, OCM Digital specializes in building marketing ecosystems that drive real results.

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Women in CannaBusiness highlights the leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators shaping the future of the cannabis industry.

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