Lady Buds cannabis documentary examines female business owners in new release

A new cannabis documentary titled Lady Buds, released this weekend, explores the lives and challenges of women entrepreneurs.

The cannabis industry has benefited greatly from niche documentaries that provide a professional way of educating viewers about the stigma of cannabis, its history of the war on drugs, or its effectiveness as a medicine. Films like WEED (2013) starring CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta, who started the conversation about medical cannabis in the nation. Weed the People (2018) examines the effectiveness of medical cannabis for children. Grass is Greener (2019) examines the history of music and its portrayal of the war on drugs.

Now is the time to enjoy a new cinematic adventure in the form of Lady Buds – a unique perspective on female cannabis entrepreneurs from all walks of life.

Lady Buds tells the life and business of a wide variety of people in Northern California who differ in race, age, and sexual orientation. Lady Buds has seven women representing six cannabis companies: Sue Taylor, Chiah Rodriques, Felicia Carbajal, Karyn Wagner, and The Bud Sisters (Pearl Moon and Dr. Joyce Centofanti). From cultivation to pharmacy ownership to thematic creation, these women faced numerous challenges during the 2017-2019 period when the documentary was shot. Lady Buds offers an intimate glimpse into the life of each topic, but also questions the stereotypes of both “stoners” in general and those of women in the industry.

Courtesy Lady Buds

Check out this exclusive clip from the movie where Karyn Wagner shares an experience her business had shortly after being legalized in California. Enjoy this foretaste!

Courtesy Lady Buds

High Times conducted an exclusive interview with director, producer and screenwriter Chris J. Russo in the November issue of the High Times, also known as the Women’s Issue, in which she shared an insight into her film and its experiences for the audience. According to Russo, Lady Buds is the first of her kind – and it all started with a statistic about women in the industry that stayed true to her. Some key studies have revealed some shocking data about women in the industry or the lack of it.

In 2015, according to a study by Marijuana Business Daily (MBD), 36 percent of women held management positions in the industry. By 2017, that percentage dropped by 26.9 percent and then rose again to 36.8 percent by 2019. The 2021 MBD report, titled Women and Minorities in the Cannabis Industry, shows a continued decline in both women and people of color.

Lady Buds sheds light on the problems women face in this industry, but also sheds light on the challenges faced by all small cannabis companies battling to compete with larger cannabis groups. “This film is unlike any other because there has never been a film that shows such a wide range of areas as if you were viewing it through a female lens,” Russo told High Times. “In my film, you explore the challenges of the entire supply chain with the women who are directly involved. I like making films that I want to see, so I want to see more women in positions of power in very positive roles. “

If you live near Los Angeles or San Francisco, check out these live theater events:

26.-27. November: Glendale Laemmle Theater, 207 N. Maryland Ave., Glendale, CA 91206

November 29: Roxie Theater, 3117 16th St. San Francisco, CA 94103

The film will be released in select theaters on November 26th and will also be available through video-on-demand services such as iTunes.