The music and Cannabis event series, Strains and Sounds celebrated Women’s History Month in Downtown LA on Saturday, March 30th, 2024. Attending the event brought a great opportunity for guests to connect with cannabis brands, craft vendors, and musical performances from female artists. The emphasis on a feminine presence was clear, from highlighting women-owned brands to the beautiful jewelry and floral arrangements. Strains & Sounds Event Celebrates Women’s History Month in DTLA with the whole community in on the experience.
Let’s dive into the experience of this event, the inspiration behind it, and why to look out for the next Strains and Sounds event!
When discussing an event looking to embrace women in the cannabis space, it is only right to first paint the picture of the female role in the industry. Looking at the numbers from the 2023 MJBiz Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Report, there is certainly a mixed level of progression. On a positive note, the percentage of women executives in cannabis businesses reached an all-time high since pre-pandemic times, growing to 39%. This is a significant level of change compared to the previous two years, 2022 (23.1%) and 2021 (22.1%). On the flip side, female ownership of cannabis businesses dropped from 22.2% in 2022 to 16.4% in 2023. Reflecting on these numbers, the push toward the inclusion of women in leadership roles is evident, however, the minuscule amount of female ownership reaffirms that the cannabis industry is still very much being run by a boys’ club.
Strains & Sounds event is a perfect example of how important it is to provide the female perspective with a platform in the cannabis space!
I loved having the opportunity to interact with the brands, learn about their products, and try some interesting technology newer to the industry. Brands that attended include concentrates from Pistil Whip and Rosin Tech, vapes from Sauce Essentials and High 90’s, and flower from Turtle Pie Co., just to name a few. You could also find Savagely Created there for some beautiful hand-rolled hash-hole joints featuring concentrates from Honey Butter Rosin. A couple of interesting pieces of tech I loved giving a try were the duo magnetic vapes from LOOPT and the cannabis hookah machine with a pod system from OOKA.
Alongside the cannabis goodies were crafty vendors that truly brought the whole feminine energy of the event together. There was nothing more purely representative of women and cannabis coming together than the jewelry found at Nancy Chains booth. How fun is it to find a necklace or earring with actual bud inside it? Truly a unique way to embrace one’s love for cannabis. The roses and floral arrangements being given out from Flower Baby by YesiDotCom lightened up the event and gave attendees something special to leave with. Rounding off the emphasis on supporting women, it was great to see a drive going on with the High&Dry Collective accepting donations of feminine products in exchange for free admission to the event.
Music for the Plant Lovers
Of course, I can’t write an article about Strains and Sounds without mentioning the incredible female artists who performed. Welcoming sounds were brought by a DJ set from Tina Turntables. Headlining was Kat Hall playing Reggae influenced Funk and R&B with an accompanying performance from Ms. B Royal. Combining the cannabis scene with incredible music is what made this event so special, especially with a female lineup to celebrate Women’s History Month. Relaxing, smoking, and enjoying live music with a nice crowd allowed attendees to connect with the roots of cannabis culture. If this seems like your kind of party, then the Strains and Sounds concert events are something to keep an eye out for if you’re in the LA area!
I had the opportunity to speak with the event organizers behind the Strains and Sounds series and hear their inspiration behind the Women’s History Month celebration. The Founder, Ryan Smiley shared with me his view on how important women are in the cannabis space. He pointed out how women offer a nurturing touch to the industry, something that is much needed with cannabis and its role as plant medicine. Lead Coordinator Wayne Tay explained how his inspiration for the event was accredited to the powerful team of women he works alongside within the marketing department at Catalyst Cannabis Co. in Long Beach, CA. I also got to hear from their Executive Assistant Nina with lifestyle brand 420 Honeys, who shared how much she enjoyed bringing the event together with their incredible team.
Leaving the Event Empowered & Inspired
As a female entrepreneur in the cannabis industry, speaking to the two men who worked on bringing this female-focused event to life was very moving. Knowing that our importance is seen and attempts are being made for recognition brought me some hope going into this male-dominated space. If more people have this mindset of providing women with a platform in cannabis, perhaps we will start to see an increase in female ownership from the 16.4% we sit at right now. I invite anyone local to/near LA and that is wanting to support cannabis music events that truly represent the culture of the cannabis community, definitely check out Strain and Sounds as well as their sponsors on instagram here @strainsandsounds SoCal Cannabar
The following photo below is from our Cannapolitan friend @thejojosnaps a woman on a mission (to make you and your Cannabis look fab!) and she’s certainly one of the top pro photographers in the Cannapolitan Cannabis Community. She too was there at this event gathering all the fun with her camera! More images and videos from the event can be seen on their instagram account mentioned above.
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