Radicle Femmes IWD 2025 Cannabis Event - Celebrating Women in Weed
It wasn’t your average Thursday….
On March 6, 2025, I attended the Radicle Femmes 2025 International Women’s Day event. Hosted by Marigold Marketing & PR, the gracious hosts put on another stellar event, headlined by 3 amazing panel discussions. Most importantly, it was a day of celebration, collaboration and mutual respect for advancing the cause of supporting one another and continuing to elevate women in cannabis.
Nestled in at the chic Soluna Lounge, on Queen St West, this venue had the perfect ambiance. Paired with a highly curated guest list, the crowd had an energy and the positive vibes were palpable like an infectious buzz.
The 3 panels covered a variety of topics:
Retail Revolution: Women Transforming Cannabis Retail
Panelists included Zaira Gaudio of Curious Cannabis Co, Katy Perry of Toke Cannabis and Ritika Kumar, Head of Marketing at High Tide.
Women and Weed: Unveiling the Trends and Expectations of Consumers
Presented by Sarah England of the Ontario Cannabis Store.
Crafting the Future: Women Shaping Cannabis Brands
Panelists included Emma Andrews, CEO of Nextleaf Solutions, Marina Gorin, Senior Director of Sales at Weed Me, and Maude Arsenault from the SQDC.
Sarah, from the OCS, shared some very interesting statistics on female cannabis consumption and preferences.
The HIGHLIGHTS:
Katy and Zaira both did an amazing job highlighting the imporantace of understanding your customer and building a relationship with them in order to best serve them and keep them coming back. The average cannabis consumer is currently not brand loyal and will make purchases from multiple different dispensaries. This has created a challenging and competitive retail landscape. Ritika from High Tide aptly articulated Canna Cabana’s core strategy of providing the lowest retail prices and rewarding repeat purchases through their loyalty program. This was in stark contrast to the independent members of the panel who stressed customer service and having a dialogue and more tailored experience for their customer base.
I love data and insights. Sarah England brought receipts! Armed with super interesting data from the OCS, Sarah noted that nearly 50% of female cannabis consumers have begun smoking in the last 5 years. This is a huge customer segment that is currently underserved and even has different purchase patterns than their male counterparts. Male consumers for example were more likely to purchase cannabis in the moment for immediate consumption or on the way to an event. Female consumers, on the other hand, were more likely to plan their consumption ahead of time and purchase more cannabis for future consumption and to have some on hand.
Emma Andrews absolutely rocked the panel and shared lots of great advice and musings from her career and ascent to CEO. Maude from the SQDC shared their harm reduction approach to cannabis, as well as noting the importance of budtender education to ensure consumers are well taken care of and informed.
One of the key takeways from the day was that women need to feel empowered to speak up, share their ideas and be heard. This is where the rubber meets the road and you need to take your shot and speak to be noticed(demonstrating “delusional” confidence as required).
Celebrating Women
The crowd at this event was incredibly supportive with lots of offers to help and opportunities for mentorship and collaboration. Radicle Femmes was a great event, but it was the people and inclusive environment for sharing ideas that makes it what it is.
Final Mentions
The food was absolutely incredible. When you have an elevated crowd, offering a delicious spread and ample food and drink is a must.
The gift bags were stuffed with some amazing samples :)
I also stocked up on a bunch of Zig Zags, lighters, cones and filters lol.
Never underestimate the power of community.
There are amazing people out there who want to see you succeed and are willing to help you!
Happy International Women’s Day!
