For International Women’s Day, Cannabis Wealth is highlighting some of the women that have spearheaded, shaped and shook up the cannabis industry.
From business and industry leaders to campaigners, patients and parents – the cannabis industry features a wealth of women who are cultivating success through this humble yet powerful plant.
For cannabis in the UK, it has been women who have paved the way for policy change, women who feature in boardrooms, women who are helping to spearhead research and women who are speaking up and taking control of their own and their family’s health with cannabis.
Here we celebrate just some of the females that are making their mark on the nascent cannabis industry.
The industry leaders
Dr Annabelle Manalo-Morgan, lead scientific advisor, Flora Growth
Dr Manalo-Morgan is a scientist, educator, author, mother of five, and a respected key opinion leader. She is a cell and developmental biologist from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, with a background in neuroscience from Georgetown University. She earned her PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology with a focus in Cardio-Oncology and has since become a philanthropist and entrepreneur focused on pharmaceutical innovation and clinical trial research in medical cannabis.
As the lead scientific advisor at Flora Growth Corp, Dr Manalo-Morgan consults on medical cannabis legalisation, standards, and protocols for a variety of countries and markets. More specifically, Manalo-Morgan has dived into a diversity of research initiatives in hopes of encouraging a more embodied approach to precision medicine, where communication between scientists, doctors, and everyone in between can be better implemented.
She is leading what could be the UK’s first NHS trial on cannabinoids for fibromyalgia and chronic pain, in partnership with the University of Manchester, which hopes to start this year, currently subject to ethics committee approval.
Dr Callie Seaman, plant scientist, founder Aqualabs
Dr Callie Seaman, PhD, is a leading UK hydroponic industry who became passionate about medicinal cannabis when she was diagnosed with epilepsy over 20 years ago.
Working in hydroponics for a number of years, Seaman undertook her PhD at Sheffield Hallam University, where she studied Biomedical Sciences when she worked at GlaxoSmithKline. She went on to complete a PhD titled “Investigating Nutrient Solutions for Hydroponic Growth of Plants”.
Seaman became a founder member of AquaLabs, for which she now sits as executive director and formulation chemist. The company is a formulator and producer of specialist hydroponic nutrients and has developed well known nutrient products such as Shogun.
Throughout her time in the industry, Seaman has been a non-executive director of a home office licenced medicinal cannabis facility within the UK, consulted with a wide range of licensed producers in the UK and internationally and has penned numerous scientific articles, book chapters and peer-reviewed papers.
As a medical cannabis advocate, Seaman is a Cannpass advisory council member, and has previously been a part of the United Patient Alliance, formed MedCan Support, a group that supports families of children with refractory epilepsy and other neurological conditions, and joined the team at PLEA, a patient lead group for access to cannabis based medicines.
Jodie Mitchell, creative director, British Cannabis
Jodie Mitchell has been a key player within one of the UK’s top manufacturers and distributors of CBD supplements and cosmetics for the past four years. She fast became the essential lead designer at British Cannabis, taking its retail brands Canabidol™, CBD Health® and Access CBD® on a journey from concept to realising over half a million packs shipped and opened to date. This impact has been recognised in the UK with industry awards that includes Best Branding and more recently been fundamental in the brand refresh of CBD by British Cannabis™, previously known as Canabidol™.
Jodie has overseen the innovation of multiple new CBD products British Cannabis has brought to market, not just in the UK, but in Europe and Asia. Many of which have won awards such as Best CBD Product.
Jodie has a reputation for always giving more and her highly ambitious attitude has taken her from graduate to creative director in just five years. As the only female and youngest member on the board, Jodie’s passion for interesting and engaging with people, customers, potential clients, and your everyday curious spectator has brought her this far now, only time will tell what her next bio will evolve into.
Dr Parveen Bhatarah FRSC, compliance lead for the Centre of Medicinal Cannabis and founder of Green Gold Innovation & Medcann Limited
Dr Parveen Bhatarah entered the Pharmaceutical industry over 20 years ago and moved into leading innovation, technology and regulatory teams nationally and internationally in the pharmaceutical industry.
She has spent over 12 years in the medicinal cannabis industry, covering everything from cultivation to FDA approval of medicinal products. Her expertise expanded further with the product development for clinical trials/commercial launch/technology transfer/manufacture and Bulk Drug Substance for ANDA & MA Submission to MHRA, FDA, TGA, ANVISA, SAHPRA, IRISH HPRA & Nordic countries. Dr Bhatarah has been responsible for setting up cGMP facilities followed by MHRA & FDA approvals in Germany, UK, South Africa & India.
Her experience with the international health authorities for various commercial generic pharmaceutical product launches, medicinal cannabis product development and herbal pharmaceutical product submissions, has been the key driver for her to lead the UK’s consumer CBD and medicinal cannabis sectors.
As a Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry & RSC advisor Dr Bhatarah’s aim is to use her knowledge and experience to assist in building a sustainable cannabinoid industry and for the UK to take the lead in this sector.
Heidi Whitman, global strategy director, Avida Global
Prior to joining Avida Global, Heidi utilised her technical background in the veterinary industry to co-found Naked Leaf, formulating CBD products for people and animals, which was subsequently acquired along with its parent company, CBD Labs LLC Ltd, in April 2019.
Heidi’s reasons for getting into the cannabis industry are deeply personal. Growing up with a passion for nature and animals, Heidi developed an awareness of traditional natural remedies as a way to heal and protect very early on.
Seeing a close family member self-medicate with cannabis for a brain tumour ignited her interest in Cannabis specifically and from this, a lifelong desire to research and promote the beneficial uses of the plant for both humans and animals.
Carolyn Baker-Mellor, head of care & charity for Towergate
Carolyn Baker-Mellor is a respected industry leader with over 35 years’ experience within the care insurance sector and is integral to the success of the Towergate Caring Professions Division. She leads several teams across the division, one of which won a significant industry award in 2021. As an individual, Carolyn was nominated at the inaugural Women in Insurance Awards and throughout the pandemic, she worked with Towergate’s care partners to provide essential updates to care providers, making sure clients felt supported and understood.
Towergate provides medical insurance for doctors and clinics across the cannabis sector, launching its partnership with the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society last year to help break down some of the barriers preventing clinicians from prescribing.
Sally Cassidy, chief revenue officer, Always Pure Organics
Sally has enjoyed a successful career in sales and sales leadership roles and now brings her unique skills and passion for the profession to a wider audience.
In 2019 Sally set up her own sales consultancy business to work with ambitious scale up’s. During this period, Always Pure Organics engaged her to deliver a robust sales strategy. Sally was then invited to join the APO leadership team and is currently the Chief Revenue Officer.
Sally is keen to be part of a sector which today remains a very male dominated space and looks forward to women becoming more prevalent, particularly at an executive level. She believes that cannabis will span multiple sectors and demand the industry take a serious approach to professionalising operations and attitudes towards customer success.
Lorenza Romanese, managing director, European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA)
Based in EIHA’s Brussels office, Lorenza is a veteran policy advisor and communication manager at the European level. She has led EIHA’s efforts in Brussels since February 2019, having worked with a number of MEPs to propose reforms affecting hemp in the EU’s Common Agriculture Policy.
EIHA represents the common interests of hemp farmers, producers and traders working with hemp fibres, shives, seeds, leaves and cannabinoids. Our main task is to serve, protect and represent the hemp sector in the EU and international policymaking. It recently crowdfunded to launch the largest study into the toxicological impacts of humans ingesting trace levels of THC.
Lorenza previously advised interests in the oil and gas sector and led the European Association of independent Winegrowers.
Jade Proudman, founder & CEO, Savage Cabbage
Jade Proudman is the founder of Savage Cabbage, global ambassador for Charlotte’s Web, and a major voice in the CBD community. Jade founded Savage Cabbage in 2016 after struggling to access high-quality CBD products from her home in the UK. A series of life-changing health issues led Jade to reach out to CBD pioneers the Stanley Brothers, founders of Charlotte’s Web, who introduced Jade to CBD for the first time. Charlotte’s Web CBD instantly transformed Jade’s quality of life post-illness, and she set out on a mission to make CBD products available to others in the UK who were suffering. She has since grown Savage Cabbage to become the trusted provider of CBD products for over 9,000 customers in 44 countries, and the UK’s official retail partner of the world’s most trusted CBD brand, Charlotte’s Web.
Jade is passionate about promoting the social, environmental, economic and wellness benefits that the hemp plant can provide to us, and working towards fair and equitable legalisation of the industry in the UK. Jade works with various stakeholders and policymakers across the UK and EU to drive a more progressive regulatory framework on hemp products and other cannabinoid products.
Kalie David, founder, Conscious by design
Kalie Garcia David has never been one to shy away from a challenge or do things by half. The founder of an innovative new wellness brand, Conscious By Design, could never have spent over six years driving multi-million dollar marketing campaigns and product delivery for multinational technology companies and US political campaigns, without having nerves of steel.
But after the birth of her daughter, a diagnosis of postpartum and trying to find her feet as a mother, forced Garcia to stop and reflect on herself, her body and her emotions. Now based in London, the Californian-raised entrepreneur and former product development leader has spent the last two years formulating the newest innovation set to turn the UK CBD industry on its head. Kalie now always asks herself how can we live a more conscious life and how can she help others like her live a more happier, healthier and conscious life. Using these questions as the foundation of which the brand is built on, she is determined to create more than just your average CBD product.
Samantha Day, co-founder, Hapi Hemp
After battling her own health issues, including chronic illness and a breast cancer diagnosis, Samantha came across CBD when researching alternative health supplements. It “changed her life” and she went on to co-found her own brand, Hapi Hemp, with best friend Lorraine Clark. The brand counts leading experts Professor Mike Barnes and Hannah Deacon as its advisors in a bid to provide some of the safest, and highest quality products on the market. While building the brand, Sam has also been supporting her daughter with her mental health issues, including anxiety and ADHD. She is passionate about supporting those with chronic illness and regularly talks at groups about her experiences, as well as now trying to raise awareness of ADHD and how it affects women.
Alisia Ratliff, cannabis/hemp industry executive
Alisia Ratliff is a FMCG executive with a background in chemical sciences and interest in carbon sequestration employed within the cannabis industry.
With over fifteen years of leadership experience across several sectors; Alisia uses a breadth of technical knowledge to build start-up companies, develop strategic direction and sustain the brand in new emerging markets. She is esteemed as a technical conference speaker, author, and ambitious entrepreneur who has become a technical SME, global thought-leader, and motivational speaker.
She strives to advise businesses on best practices, helping them avoid failing business models and implementing sustainable policies within an ever-changing regulatory environment and alternative medicines marketplace.
The communicators
Ruby Deevoy, journalist
Ruby is a UK cannabis journalist with years of experience covering CBD and cannabis in national publications such as The Independent, The Mirror, The National, Elle, Red, Top Sante and Natural Health magazine. She’s also the UK’s only mainstream CBD columnist, writing monthly for Top Sante magazine, cannabis agony aunt for Leafie, writes the Indybest CBD product lists, is founder of The CBD Consultancy and is press member for The Cannabis Industry Council.
Kate Thorpe, communications director, The Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society & Secretary, Cannabis Industry Council
A healthcare communications and marketing specialist, Kate began working in medical cannabis in 2019. After helping to launch The Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society alongside Hannah Deacon, in 2021 Kate went on to develop the Cannabis Industry Council with Professor Mike Barnes and continues to work for both non-profit groups.
Kate says: “I’m lucky in that I really love what I do, and in medical cannabis, I found a developing sector that I am so passionate about seeing grow. By effectively telling the medical cannabis story – whether I’m talking to doctors, patients, fellow organisations, the media, or the wider public – I can play a small part in growing the understanding of this incredible treatment.
“Having seen medical cannabis change people’s lives – by meeting patients, by supporting PLEA and the doctors we support via the Society, this year I saw first-hand the enormous impact this treatment had for my friend at the end of his life. It allowed him precious, pain-free time to spend with his beloved family, in a way that he couldn’t with traditional treatment.
“Now more than ever, I want every doctor to be confident in prescribing medical cannabis, and for everyone in the UK to know how to safely access this medicine.”
Róisín Delaney, founder It’s Neon Green content and communications service
Róisín spent the last 10 years or so covering women’s interests, including the health & wellness space, for an assortment of consumer lifestyle and business publications around the world. Over the last four years, her work has centred on the hemp and CBD world, which is powered by a close-knit community in the UK. “
It’s a small space, where everyone knows everyone, and with women leading on a lot of the biggest operations for the needs of your everyday consumer and patients.”
Formerly staff editor of Woman’s Way, Ireland’s best-selling women’s magazine, Róisín says, “It’s really exciting to be a part of a burgeoning industry which, in a few, short years, has proven impossible to ignore. I’m really proud to be among an expanding network of women who are pushing this agenda forward. It’s great to know that we can lean on each other for support whenever needed.”
Victoria Logan, events and communications lead, Centre for Medicinal Cannabis
Victoria Logan has a holistic and alternative background, having spent a lot of her life traveling, and experiencing lots of different cultures around the world. Living in such countries and communities allowed her the time to observe and explore alternative rituals, practices, belief systems and therapeutic plant remedies. A welcomed intervention from the western.
Victoria is also an established yoga teacher, teaching weekly classes in Edinburgh both online and in person, and feels a strong connection to plant based alternatives and medicines. Having used cannabinoids as part of her yoga practice for many years, she is passionate about creating education and conversations around the therapeutic benefits of the cannabis plant. A yoga practice can cultivate deeper self-awareness and nurture our ability to stabilise and ground, and Victoria believes this combined with plant therapies and cannabinoids, can generate profound healing.
Victoria held her first Yoga & CBD Workshop last week in London, and it was a huge success. She strives to change the stigma around using cannabis as a self care tool and increase its availability for everyone as a medicinal plant through more of these engaging workshops and events. Providing a safe space for those looking to restore their relationship with natural treatment methods and alternative therapies.
Victoria also works with The Centre for Medicinal Cannabis, as events and communications lead, giving her the platform to create content and educational events and discussions around how to change the narrative and legislation of CBMP’s in the UK.
Lisa Hilling, global marketing director, PharmaSeeds
Lisa Hilling, a marketing director with over 20 years’ experience, has spent the past two-and-a-half years in the cannabis and hemp industry working with PharmaSeeds.
PharmaSeeds was launched in response to a very clear market need to provide licensed producers with entirely legal, compliant and traceable genetics with known agronomic outcomes, while at the same time helping licensed cannabis breeders to protect and build lasting revenue strategies around their IP under fair pricing contracts.
Dr Mala Mawkin, head of market development, Cellen
Dr Mala Mawkin MBBS BSc was a finalist in the Women of the Future awards 2019, listed on Forbes 30 under 30 Europe 2018 and was one of Vogue’s 10 Rising Female Stars in 2018.
Currently head of market Development at Cellen, she is particularly interested in the use of Medical Cannabis for managing patients with unmet clinical needs. Mala is a co-founder of the Women in Medical Cannabis Leadership in UK networking group.
Digital Medicine Innovation Lead at Imperial College London, she hosts the Digital Health Podcast for the Royal Society of Medicine.
Previously, she was a doctor in the NHS and has worked at institutions such as European Space Agency, Malawi’s e-health programme, as well as Harvard & Boston Children’s Hospital’s Innovation & Digital Health Accelerator. She sits on the advisory board for PLEA (Patient-Led Engagement for Access) and CPASS.
Sian Phillips, executive director, Cannabis Trades Association
Siân Phillips has been director of the Cannabis Trades Association (CTA) since December 2018 – bringing experience of PR and marketing to her role as well as her business and trade body knowledge.
As an advocate for CBD extracted from hemp, Sian created the company Fiddler’s Elbow Grease Life Ltd in July 2017 which is based Oxfordshire and makes a number of hemp products. These include balms soaps and tea, among others – all of which use 100 per cent organic certified hemp from Europe.
Marika Graham Woods, Executive Director, Cannabis Trades Association
Having retired from business, Marika was drawn back to help her fellow Executive Director Sian Phillips and the CTA to refocus, and to support UK and International CTA members in the fast changing hemp, CBD and medicinal cannabis markets.
Marika’s background is in developing new markets and international business for large organisations. She has a keen eye for where cannabis industries need to be heading and is focussed on simplifying and changing legislation to enable markets to open up.
Highly approachable, even her pink jacket is becoming famous at Expos and conferences!
The CTA is involved with the APPG CBD, APPG Medicinal, has a PAP with Oxfordshire Trading Standards and is a stakeholder in the FSA, BSI, and a Member of CIC amongst other things.
Click here to read more of the inspirational female campaigners, patients and researchers in the cannabis industry.
[activecampaign form=31]
