CannaCon Midwest St. Paul ‘26 | Photo by Mesfin Abegaz
Every year, at every cannabis trade show, I hear the same question.
How do we highlight women in the cannabis industry?
It's an important question. Cannabis has incredible women leading businesses, building brands, shaping policy, educating consumers, and creating community. They deserve to be recognized.
But I keep wondering if we're going about it the wrong way.
Too often, the answer is to create a "Women's Lounge," a "Women's Stage," or a handful of sessions tucked away in a separate area of the convention center. The intention is good, but the execution often sends a different message.
The women's area is usually in the back.
The programming competes with everything else happening on the main schedule.
The conversations that should be heard by the entire industry end up being heard by the people who were already planning to attend.
Instead of integrating women into the heart of the event, we've unintentionally created another room where women talk to women while everyone else carries on with the "main" conference.
That's not inclusion.
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This Isn't Just a Cannabis Problem
Let's be honest. This pattern exists in nearly every industry.
When an industry is historically dominated by men, organizers often look for ways to spotlight women. The easiest solution becomes creating something separate.
A women's breakfast. A women's networking hour. A women's panel. A women's lounge.
There's nothing inherently wrong with those events. They create valuable community and meaningful connections.
But if those are the only places women are being elevated, we're missing the point.
The goal shouldn't be creating spaces where women can be seen.
The goal should be making sure women are seen everywhere.
And that responsibility doesn't fall solely on trade show organizers.
It starts with the companies, brands, organizations and leaders putting people in those positions in the first place.
Natalie Campion moderating a panel at CannaCon ‘26 | Photo by Mesfin Abegaz
Don't Create a Separate Stage. Put Women on Every Stage.
If we're serious about representation, it shouldn't require attendees to leave the main programming to find it.
Women should be moderating panels on cultivation.
Speaking about retail strategy.
Leading conversations about compliance.
Talking about fundraising.
Discussing technology.
Sharing expertise on manufacturing.
Hosting policy discussions.
Keynoting.
Not because they're women.
Because they're experts.
But companies have to be willing to put those women in positions where they can actually be seen.
Who gets sent to the trade show?
Who represents the company on a panel?
Who gets the speaking opportunity?
Who is introduced to potential partners and investors?
Who is positioned as the face of the brand?
If the same people are always being put forward, we're going to keep seeing the same people.
Companies have an opportunity to change that.
Give women the microphone.
Put them at the front of the room.
Send them to the biggest industry events.
Introduce them to the people who can open doors.
Let them lead the meeting.
Put their name on the panel.
Put their face in the campaign.
Not as a diversity initiative or because it looks good on paper.
Because visibility creates opportunity.
Lucky Leaf Minneapolis ‘26 | Photo by Mesfin Abegaz
Visibility Matters Beyond the Speaker Lineup
Representation shouldn't stop at the educational sessions, either.
Walk the trade show floor.
Whose stories are being told?
Which brands are impossible to miss?
Women-owned businesses shouldn't have to rely on someone stumbling across their booth by luck.
Imagine visual storytelling woven throughout the event that highlighted women founders and executives. Imagine signage that helped attendees discover women-led businesses without separating them from everyone else.
And imagine companies being intentional about who they put front and center.
Because visibility isn't just about being seen.
It's about being given the opportunity to be seen.
The point isn't to isolate women.
It's to make them impossible to overlook.
Natalie Campion and Tara Falk speaking at CannaCon Midwest ‘26
Community Still Matters
I'm not saying we should eliminate events designed for women.
Far from it.
Women benefit from networking with other women. Mentorship matters. Honest conversations matter. Community matters.
But those experiences should complement the conference, not replace representation within it.
Imagine adding experiences like:
A Women Who Lead dinner focused on meaningful conversation and relationship building.
An industry happy hour spotlighting women-owned brands.
A wellness morning with yoga, mindfulness, and THC wellness products.
A "Women to Watch" campaign highlighting leaders before, during, and after the event.
These experiences create community.
The conference itself should create visibility.
Those are two different goals.
Canna Connect Brainerd 2026 | Photo by Mesfin Abegaz
Let's Raise the Standard
The cannabis industry has an opportunity to do this differently.
We don't have decades of tradition we have to protect. We get to build what the future looks like.
That means asking harder questions.
Are we creating opportunities that genuinely advance women?
Are companies actively putting women in positions where they can be seen?
Are we giving them the microphone, the leadership role, the speaking opportunity, the premium booth, the introduction, the seat at the table?
Or are we simply checking a box?
Because women in this industry deserve more than a separate space.
They deserve to be part of the conversations shaping the future of cannabis.
And that starts with all of us being more intentional about who we put forward.
Don't just create a space for women to be seen.
Put women in positions where they can't be overlooked.
Not in a separate corner.
On every stage.
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