Women Increasingly Are Cannabis Entrepreneurs and Customers…

Marijuana, for the most part, is characterized as a guy thing.

Movies certainly bolster that stereotype. When it comes to iconic images of people who use marijuana, it’s mostly a Boy’s Club. The two Jeffs – Spicoli and Lebowski. Those guys in “Pineapple Express.” And, of course, Cheech and Chong.

But the number of female cannabis users is growing, according to research from the California marijuana delivery company, Eaze. And the number of female entrepreneurs in marijuana continues to grow, as well.

Women and baby boomers are buying more cannabis.

In a report that mines data from the company’s customers in 2016, Eaze found that orders from women made a significant jump in 2016.

Eaze offers on-demand medical marijuana delivery in 100 cities across California, including San Francisco and San Jose. They promise to deliver in 20 minutes or less. Someone orders marijuana on Eaze once every 30 seconds.

Related: Sand Hill Road Joins Private Capital Flooding Into Marijuana Startups

An increasing number of those are women. For the report, Eaze used data from the 250,000 users on the company’s online platform as well as a survey of 5,000 customers.

They found that one out of three customers on the Eaze platform are women. That’s a jump of 32 percent from last year, when women made up one out of every four customers.

They also are increasingly older. The number of Baby Boomers, both males and females born between 1946 and 1964, who buy marijuana from Eaze jumped by 25 percent in 2016. The number of Gen Xers (1965 to 1982) increased 8 percent. Conversely, the number of Millennials (1983-1995) dropped by 3 percent.

Women find opportunity in the marijuana business.

A recent New York Times article illustrated how women are moving into the marijuana business through the story of a California woman who is making a living selling handbags, clutches and other items specially designed for older women who use marijuana.

They are “aroma-controlled,” providing a scent to mask the smell of cannabis.

She is one of many women in their 50s, 60s and 70s who have started businesses in the marijuana industry, according to the Times. Arcview Group CEO Troy Drayton told the Times it’s “definitely a trend” and that older women who were making marijuana-based products for loved ones are now moving into selling their products.

Related: Medical Cannabis Finds an Eager Market In Floridian Retirees

The marijuana industry overall also is more open to women executives than other industries, according to a report from Marijuana Business Daily. They reported that 36 percent of executive positions in marijuana are held by women, compared to 22 percent in other industries.

Women especially have higher-ranked positions in testing labs, where 63 percent of executives are women. That is followed by “processor or infused products maker” (48 percent) and ancillary services (40 percent).

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