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William SumnerNovember 27, 2018

During the massive gathering of cannabis industry leaders at Marijuana Business Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada, the leading women came together to honor the achievements of their peers. The 2nd Annual Industry Power Women Awards, the ceremony aimed to recognize the accomplishments of women in the cannabis industry; from entrepreneurs and investors to influencers and advocates, commenced.

The award ceremony was hosted by the group Industry Power Women (IPW) and made possible with generous sponsors that included Dr. Robb Farms, High Times Holding Company, Organa Brands, Regs Technology (Cannaregs), Skunk Factory, Mood33, Passport Cannabis, The GoldQ, CH3 Ventures, Greenhouse Ventures, Saka Wines and Pink Haze.

IPW was founded in 2017 and is an organization established to help advance female businesswomen in cannabis. IPW aims to elevate and empower female entrepreneurship within the cannabis industry by creating a support network of like-minded individuals.

Attending the invite-only ceremony was an assortment of women from across the industry and all walks of life. These women include founders, CEOs, C-suite executives, trade organization leaders and community organizers.

Green Market Report co-founder and CEO, Debra Borchardt, and managing partner of KCSA Strategic Communications as well as the founder of AxisWire, Cynthia Salarizadeh acted as hostesses for the event. The first to take home an award was Kristin Hope for the Rising Star Award. At just 15 years old, Hope became the first person to launch a pharmaceutical grade hemp beauty line, HOOP, and was most recently nominated for the Bell scholarship.

The next award recipient was Gaynell Rogers, who won Influencer of the Year. As one of the most respected voices in public relations, Rogers has worked with some of the best and brightest in the cannabis industry; including Harborside Health’s Co-Founder Steve DeAngelo.

Outside of the cannabis industry, Rogers is also known for her work as the senior publicist for Lucasfilm and the Head of Feature Film Publicity at Pixar for the first “Incredibles” and “Cars.”

For her outstanding work as a cannabis advocate, Amy T. Margolis was granted the 2018 Leadership Award. Margolis is the founder of the Oregon Cannabis Association, which is one of the largest trade organizations in the cannabis industry.

Most recently, Margolis was also named by Cannabis Business Executive (CBE) as one of the 2017’s 100 Most Powerful Political People in Cannabis and one of the 50 Most Important Women in Cannabis in both 2016 and 2017.

Taking the prize for Advocate of the Year was Wanda James. As an outspoken political voice and serial entrepreneur, James has been honored by High Times Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Cannabis and was also named as one of the 50 Most Important Women in the Cannabis Industry by CBE.

Emily Paxhia, co-founder and Managing Partner of Poseidon Asset Management, was named IPW’s Investor of the Year. Throughout her career, Paxhia has reviewed thousands of cannabis companies and has always taken the time to uplift promising female entrepreneurs by helping them shape their pitch preparations, go-to-market strategies/ product launches, and advised on day-to-day business operations.

Taking the Industry Power Women top honor of 2018 Business Woman of the Year was Jessica Billingsley. Billingsley is the Co-Founder and CEO of MJ Freeway Business Solutions; a technology company that provides software solutions to cannabis firms, as well as small-business, consulting services and application license support. In addition to her entrepreneurial accomplishments, Billingsley has also been named to Fortune Magazine’s list of Top 10 Most Promising Women Entrepreneurs.

Following the ceremony, many of the attendees would later recount with exuberance how empowered the event made them feel. For many, this event stood out as one of the few places where they could be with other women and talk about their trade. In an industry that continues to be dominated by men, that matters; and it only serves to highlight the continued relevance, and need, for ceremonies like the Industry Power Women Awards.

StaffMay 22, 2018

The cannabis industry took a big leap towards the mainstream earlier this month with the official launch of the world’s first cannabis focused communications firm, AxisWire.

Founded by a seasoned team of cannabis professionals, AxisWire was created in response to the severe lack of access to basic business services that many entrepreneurs take for granted.

Although cannabis is legal in some shape or form in more than half of the United States, many newswire services and public relations firms have refused to do business with anyone associated with the cannabis industry; due primarily to the substance’s Schedule I status and fears of federal interference.

Despite the lack of access, the cannabis industry has flourished nonetheless. According to a report by ArcView Market Research and BDS Analytics, the economic impact of the cannabis industry is expected to grow to $40 billion by 2021, leaving plenty of room for savvy operators to fill the void left by traditional communications firms.

“The cannabis industry is on the brink and ripe for a platform that will provide the infrastructure for all cannabis businesses, journalists and PR representatives to be able to access one another and exchange their news,” commented AxisWire founder and CEO, Cynthia Salarizadeh. “After two years of development, our team is confident that AxisWire will stand at the center of all things media for cannabis.”

Conceived of as a one-stop-shop for the cannabis businesses to grow their brand, AxisWire offers a variety PR and marketing tools, like its STAR (Submit To A Reporter) source locator subscription service. With STAR, entrepreneurs hoping to grow their cannabis brand can get connected with journalists looking for expert sources for a small fee.

One of the most powerful tools in AxisWire’s employ is its newswire service. Cannabis brands signed up with AxisWire can have their press releases distributed to over 1,700 targeted journalists and producers at industry specific publications as well as hundreds of publications like Forbes, The Washington Post, CNN, TIME, Business Insider, and VICE. In addition to distributing press releases, AxisWire also offers a service to write them as well.

But it’s not just as simple as sending out a press release and hoping for the best. In many states, like Washington, there is a myriad of confusing rules and regulations regarding cannabis advertising. To help assist their users stay compliant with state law, AxisWire has partnered with the cannabis compliance firm CannaRegs to offer discounted compliance consultations.

In addition to compliance, AxisWire also offers media consultancy services where businesses can learn how to maximize their marketing strategies and increase brand awareness. Led by Evan Nison, the company’s Chief Public Relations Officer and founder of the PR firm Nison Co., AxisWire’s media consultancy team is backed by some of the best PR and marketing minds in the business; with experience ranging from Fortune 500 Companies to small businesses.

In a statement, AxisWire Chief Marketing Officer of AxisWire and Founder of Wick & Mortar, Jared Mirsky, said that the creation of of AxisWire was a no-brainer and expressed excitement at bringing the new platform online.

“It only makes sense that something like this should exist, especially given the fact most traditional marketing methods aren’t so traditional for the cannabis industry,” explained Jared Mirsky Chief Marketing Officer of AxisWire and Founder & CEO of Wick & Mortar. “We are forced to be even more creative in our approach and often rely on so-called ‘cannabis marketers’ to help move our brands. I am extremely excited to bring this platform to the forefront for my clients and the industry, and proud to be part of this new venture with AxisWire and our team of cannabis industry leaders.”

StaffApril 20, 2018

KCSA Strategic Communications (“KCSA”), a fully-integrated communications agency specializing in public relations, investor relations and social media announced today that it has acquired Salar Media Group (“SMG”), a leading public relations and marketing firm specializing in the cannabis industry. SMG founder and CEO, Cynthia Salarizadeh, will join KCSA as a managing partner. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“Along with the three core industry focus areas of KCSA – Technology, Healthcare and Financial Services – we are committed to expanding our considerable communications expertise across the entire supply chain in the cannabis industry,” said Todd Fromer, Managing Partner of KCSA Strategic Communications. “We are excited to welcome Cynthia and to integrating her experience and expertise in cannabis into our already robust offering.”

Since its inception, SMG has positioned itself as one of the cannabis industry’s leading public relations firms, representing many of the most respected brands and producing some of the most recognized conferences and events in the space.

SMG will remain a holding company for the media properties and projects that Salarizadeh is part of, such as the Green Market Report, the cannabis entrepreneur tech platform AxisWire.com slated to launch next week, the Industry Power Women production of Wonder Women of Weed, and the weekly broadcast of CannaBIZ & Company.

“Over the past couple of years I have watched KCSA establish a position of leadership in providing expert communications counsel to the cannabis industry. The opportunity to join KCSA was too good to pass up, and I look forward to working closely with the entire KCSA team,” said Ms. Salarizadeh. “KCSA’s vast infrastructure, combined with SMG’s knowledge of the cannabis industry, will uniquely position us to offer unparalleled service and support to our clients from around the globe.”

This move brings together two of the largest names in cannabis public relations. KCSA Communications now has the advantage of housing one of the most influential operators in cannabis communications.

Tabitha ClayApril 18, 2018

Quim Rock is a “self-care line for humans with vaginas and humans without vaginas who love vaginas.” The company, co-founded by Cyo Ray Nystrom and Rachel Washtien presented this year at CNvest and has been turning heads in the cannabis industry with their unique approach and product.

“CNvest was an amazing opportunity for us,” said Nystrom, “It allowed us to pitch to a room pretty much entirely of private investors and we had some really exciting conversations.”

Quim Rock’s Intimate Oil is infused with THC and is designed to intensify climax, enhance sensation, increase libido, and promote overall vaginal health. Nystrom started making her own vaginal health products six years ago and started including cannabis into the equation three years ago.

Cannabis Content & Media Photographer Jennifer Skog

“Really it was just a side project,” said Nystrom, “My own product for my own needs and for my friends until I started working with my co-founder Rachel [Washtien], who is head of operations and really is the one who had the longevity, and the hunger, and the aptitude, and detail-orientedness to really incorporate the business.”

Quim Rock was incorporated in October 2016 and launched its first product, Quim Rock Intimate Oil, in April 2017. The recommended usage amount contains 8-10 mg of THC, which can help ease intercourse-related pain and heighten pleasurable sensations while promoting overall vaginal health. The company focuses on vaginal health and wellness and works to promote open conversations about the quim. Already in multiple retail locations in California, Quim Rock is currently building out a new manufacturing facility and has even more products in the pipeline.

“We’ll be launching a latex-safe cannabis-infused lubricant, which is probably the biggest limitation of our current product [which is oil based]. We’re also going to launch what I call eye cream for your vagina, for your quim if you will,” said Nystrom, “and that will be our actual first THC-free product.”

Having a THC-free product means that Quim Rock will be able to expand beyond California into other markets. Because the cannabis industry is regulated at the state level, reaching other markets with their THC infused Intimate Oil presents a lot of unique challenges.

There are a lot of uphill battles for a vaginal health and wellness company, even in the cannabis industry which is known for its proportionally high number of women executives. Quim Rock is still seeking funding, and that means meeting with investors that may not have personally experienced the problems that Quim Rock is addressing.

“I’m talking about vaginal health issues and a lot of the people that I’m talking to, they don’t have vaginas, they don’t know what it’s felt like to have a recurring yeast infection, or go in a cycle of UTI yeast infection for years and years and years on end, because these things are so coated with shame,” explained Nystrom. “We want to create products that solve these problems, solve these issues, but the real goal is that in doing so we remove the shame around such a vital part of our bodies.”

Debra BorchardtDecember 29, 2017

Jane West has reinvented herself several times already. She was an early event planner for cannabis. She co-founded Women Grow. Now she is launching her own cannabis accessory and product business called naturally Jane West.

Her real name is Amy Partridge B. D., but everyone has been calling her by her nom de plume for years. Plus, Ms. D. prefers to keep her legal name private and doesn’t want to disclose it for privacy concerns. This is fairly unusual as most cannabis industry executives have no problem using their given names.

Having said that, she recently launched her website JaneWest.com as she has embarked on expanding her cannabis accessories line. Her signature product began as a line of cobalt blue glass pipes, but she wanted to move beyond the blue pipes to create a sophisticated line of smoking tools that were more mobile than glass pipes.

She teamed up with an exclusive design partner who is known for the iconic Rabbit wine opener to create three different one-hit products. “The Classic” resembles a flask made of aluminum that stores the flower and has a taster that pops out from a spring-loaded chamber. Priced at $58, it is the most masculine design in her Jane West Collection and the top seller. “The Compact” is priced at $48 and mimics a cosmetics case. There is room for 2 different strains of flower, a taster, a pick and even a lighter. “The Wand” is about the size of a tube of mascara that holds enough flower for one evening and is priced at $38.

In addition to selling accessories, West is also the Chief Executive Officer of Jane West the company which is moving into branded flower. Her Jane West strains are noted for either a sunshine or moon icon as a way to quickly tell the consumer whether the product is indica or sativa. “Our evening strain is mind clearing,” said West. “It helps clear your mind of all those thoughts that keep you up.” The product can now be found in six stores in Colorado.

The Jane West Backstory

West got into the cannabis industry in 2013 when she started her company Edible Events and began holding events in 2014. She was producing monthly events at art galleries and upscale locations. She partnered with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra to produce special events which put her name on the map due to the enormous publicity it received. Unfortunately, she also lost her real job as a result of the heavy press coverage and monthly cannabis events were did not generate enough money to support her.

Her newfound celebrity did generate interest from other women who sought her out for advice. As more women approached her, the idea for Women Grow was hatched. West felt local people would be best served by connecting with other local people and that was her original idea for Women Grow. Now the group is in 35 different cities. West left Women Grow in July of 2016 to totally commit herself to the Jane West. In a sign of her continued support for women’s businesses, West works with female owned and operated facilities when choosing her Jane West flower.

At one time in her life, she didn’t envision herself as a CEO, but now West says she fully embraces her title as Chief Executive Officer. She isn’t concerned that the name Jane West will be perceived as a women-only brand and believes men will not be turned off by the name. “It is a female plant at the end of the day,” she said. The packaging is very neutral, so it doesn’t look like a girly product.