A Colorado-based organization that promotes education and information about working in the cannabis industry is expanding to the Kootenay region.
Women Grow will be opening up their first Kootenay Chapter in Nelson this January with informational meetings tentatively slated for January 7th at the Hume Hotel in Nelson at 7 p.m.
“I essentially started the Kootenay Chapter of Women Grow to help connect everybody because I recently moved to Nelson, where I live now, from Vancouver in July,” said Kaleigh Herald, cannabis consultant for the Kootenay’s Medicine Tree and the Women Grow Kootenay Chapter chair. “I worked in the cannabis industry in Vancouver and when I moved here, I noticed that there’s a really, really great industry here and it’s actually really apparent that it helps the local economy, but people are very hostile about sharing information here because it’s been an underground industry for so long.”
Her goal is to empower the next generation of cannabis industry leaders (growers, manufacturers, dispensary owners or patients) by creating programs, community and events for aspiring and current business executives in the Kootenay Chapter — there are 36 other chapters that have began operating since Women Grow was first established in Denver, Colorado last year during the state’s legalization process.
“This is a really great time, obviously,” she added. “We’re about to end the prohibition of cannabis across the country, so it’s a great time for us to connect as individuals in the industry and anyone who is looking to learn more about the industry… We host meetings, conferences and networking events to create a pretty open playing field.”
The signature Women Grow event, she added, is coming up in January to promote who they are and what they do.
“We’re going to have some presentations, one by Jim Wesley, who is a local cannabis educator, another woman from the Okanagan who is going to be talking to us about hemp extractions hopefully, and somebody from city hall to talk to us about regulations in the area at the time,” said Herald.
Early bird tickets are $25, and can be purchased online at www.eventbrite.ca, or at the door for $30.
“Come on out if you’re at all interested in the industry. It’s totally worth it to check out the event, meet people, network and gain a feel for what’s about to happen because this industry is really about to take off and explode so if it’s something that you want to be a part of, I really suggests coming out to the event,” she said.
Herald remains optimistic that there will continually be new Women Grow chapters opening up around B.C. and Canada.
To become a Women Grow member or to learn more about the organization, visit www.womengrow.com.
For more information, contact Herald at 604-355-5437.