aAside from racial disparities in the rapidly growing cannabis industry, it is also overwhelmingly male-dominated. But there’s a new wave of Latinos emerging in Chicago’s local cannabis community that may have some opposition.
After criminalizing cannabis consumption in communities of color, legalization has allowed primarily white-owned pharmaceutical companies to make billions of dollars. At the federal level, marijuana is still classified as a Schedule I drug, in the same category as heroin and meth, but it is now also legal for recreational use in 24 states across the country. Last year, Illinois generated more than $400 million in tax revenue and generated more than $1 billion in sales.
“This plant is female, of course. So it makes sense to have a woman represented,” says Ana Karen Ramirez, a Gage Park native who founded cannabis-based clothing brand and events company AK40SEV in 2019. he said.
Ramirez, who prides herself on being a DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) dreamer, says many of her supporters assume her brand is owned and controlled by men. Although she admits to having preconceived notions, she said she enjoys the shock of having them shattered. She said, “When I meet people in person, I’m like, ‘Wait, are you AKAY40SEV? I’ve always wondered. [the owner] It was a man,” she said.
Ramirez balances being a single mother with two young daughters and working a full-time job at a government agency while managing AKAY40SEV. She is also an advocate for diversity in the local cannabis industry.
Ramirez’s first event was called “Mother Mary Jane,” and was designed to help educate first-generation immigrant families by encouraging cannabis consumers to bring their mothers along to learn about the benefits of cannabis consumption.
Vanessa Cardenas and Victoria Cristina Ruiz (VCR) are Latinas and Logan Square natives who founded Rollin Rosa in 2022. Rollin Rosa is a premium luxury brand offering pre-rolls made with light green vegan rose filter chip cones.
“It’s not for the everyday, it’s for people who want something a little more upscale and elegant, and it’s an elevated experience. We’re the first to create a custom rose filter tip,” says DACA. says Cárdenas, who is also a Dreamer.
“If you look at a box of Rollin Rosa, the first thing you’ll see is a brown girl on the cover, which is unusual. It’s an experience from the jump. When you slide the box open, you’ll see a cone… It has a separate separator so it won’t get crushed.It’s a luxury.
They recalled the moment that motivated them to pursue the business endeavor of creating Rollin Rosa. “We had a misconception that Blazy Susan was a women-owned business, so we offered them our business,” Cardenas said. “Then we found out it wasn’t a woman-run business. It was run by a white man, and we thought, ‘If he can do it, why can’t we?’ I did. We are actually women and also Latinas. ”
VCR also recalled encountering sexism when promoting her products at a Chicago pharmacy.
“I went to a smoke shop trying to make a deal. I gave them samples, I showed them catalogs,” she said. “The gentleman asked to speak to one man in particular. I told him that I was one of the owners and that this was a two-woman show. There were no men in this company. So he refused to do business with me because of that.
Rollin Rosa will be celebrating its 2nd anniversary this summer. They have come a long way since they started. “We didn’t know anything about the cannabis industry and didn’t have the resources,” Cardenas said.
The company’s signature vegan corn is now available at more than 40 pharmacies across the Midwest, as well as in select stores in New York and Massachusetts. This month, the company also began a partnership with Urban Outfitters to sell its products at flagship stores across the country and in New York City.
Women like Griselda Blanco and the “Queen of the South” are glorified in modern pop culture, but the women who work within the legal confines of the cannabis industry are clearly visible just by being women in the business world. facing adversity.
Additionally, Latinas have historically been portrayed as sexualized or submissive, and the term “marijuana” was coined out of anti-Mexican sentiment to denigrate immigrants.
But a new generation of Latinos is breaking through all stereotypes and barriers and making it known that they are not here to be objectified, to serve men, or to be exploited. . They are here to grow independently, succeed in the industry, and proudly represent their culture.
Southsider Amorinda Martinez, who founded Tranquil Hides in 2019, curates a medicinal meditation experience in the West Loop that provides a space for self-directed cannabis consumption. Martinez has worked in hospitals and held leadership roles in the healthcare industry for more than 20 years. Currently, her focus is on providing healing services to the community.
Martinez said she is a strong believer in indigenous plant medicine traditions, and that the generational cycles of trauma that communities of color have endured have led her to learn about pre-colonial healing practices using plant medicine. He added that it can be cut off.
“Women have always been respected as medical practitioners because we have divine feminine power,” Martinez said. “Women were distributing medicines to people in their communities. Naturally, we are intuitive people, we are empathetic people, we are more spiritually connected, and all of those things helped us… And we have the ability to respect medicine better.”
Cultural appropriation of meditation practices is another reason Martinez feels her work with communities of color is important. “People are now used to seeing white women doing this work and white women doing therapy,” she said. “Predominantly white people come into my space, assume I don’t own it, and want to know where I learned my practice. When I tell them what I learned from my seniors, [and] Women who take drugs, they don’t see the value in it. [for] That really should be respected. ”
Lizmarie Palomo fosters community by providing consulting and education about the cannabis industry. Palomo’s alter ego and lifestyle brand, Mota Mami, offers essential oil-infused candles and fragrances paired with daily positive reaffirmations.
She started her career in the cannabis industry as a bud tender, managing three locations before deciding to quit her job and strike out on her own.
“As a Latino, we need representation to give back to our community,” Palomo said. “I was the representative [those] space for Tiers and Tios, grandpa and grandma who were trying to find an alternative for health. The great thing is that as we expanded, we were able to hire more Spanish speakers and Latinos and expand our presence. ”
Although cannabis is still in the process of being decriminalized, it is important to understand that its consumption has been driven by an underground economy fed by local street dealers for decades. These dealers include “trap queens” and female dealers.
Maria, a Latina woman who sells marijuana as a side job, said the reality is that many consumers still buy marijuana from underground dealers. The persistent racism in the legal profession highlights the importance of including Black and brown women in the field, she added.
“I think we need more people of color, women of color, black and brown people to get more involved with legal cannabis and decriminalize it,” she said. “I think it’s great to do it legally, but I think it’s putting a strain on pharmacies. I think that’s another reason why my friends come to me outside of pharmacies. Because it’s very expensive and of course I can buy it for a better price.
These Latinas strongly believe that if women want to be legally part of the cannabis industry, they should do so.
“The message we want to send to the community is if you want to do something, if you have a dream, don’t let anyone stop you,” Cardenas said.
To learn more about the work of these Latina women, follow them on social media.: @akayfortysev @rollinrosaco @tranquilhighs @motamami
✶ ✶ ✶ ✶
Photojournalist and author Mateo Zapata is the son of Colombian and Chilean immigrants.
