Female business owners, managers and cannabis consumers gathered Saturday in Annapolis to celebrate the growth of women in Maryland’s legal cannabis market.
The Celebration of Women in Cannabis Brunch saw more than 30 cultivators, retail owners, business executives and local marijuana activists who are seeking to break barriers and redefine leadership in the industry.
The event, held at Blackwall Hitch in Annapolis on Saturday, was intended for women working within the cannabis industry.
“Women play strong roles in the background of a lot of successful businesses and work just as hard, or harder, to get the job done,” Sakara Barnes, founder of California-based Mother Exotic Flower, told the Capital Gazette. “Just being able to let your guard down, relax for a moment and be appreciated for that is something I wanted to do.”
Barnes created Mother Exotic in 2019 in California. Products from the family-owned company are now in 34 Maryland retail stores. In partnership with SunMed Growers, a medical cannabis cultivator and processor in Maryland, Barnes brought her business to stores across the state. Both companies worked together to plan the brunch, an effort Barnes said was also intended to connect female business owners in the cannabis industry.
The event also honored trailblazing women including Hope Wiseman, the CEO of Mary and Main, and Jennifer Miller, owner and general manager of woman-owned and -operated dispensary Sweet Buds.
“As women in cannabis, we lift each other up and create space for new voices to shine,” Brianna Charlton, wholesale director at SunMed Growers and co-organizer of the brunch, said in a statement. “We’re honored to be part of this community and to celebrate the impact women are making across Maryland.”
Maryland has implemented several equity programs to mitigate the effects of historic imbalances and to increase minority representation in the cannabis industry, including the state’s social equity lottery for cannabis licenses.
Maryland collected more than $18.4 million in cannabis tax revenue during the second quarter of 2025. That number is expected to grow next quarter after a 3% increase in the state’s cannabis tax rate took effect on July 1.
“It was so impactful for me to have the support of women in the space to give me authentic feedback and to guide me along the way,” Barnes said. “I was putting these women together in the room to help them build their community. Now they can lean on someone or call someone if they’re going through something.”
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