Weed for Women

By Jen Randolph Reise

My women friends are discovering weed. They have contacted me on Facebook in private messages or come to me in quiet conversation.

“Hey, these new Delta drinks are great! No hangover like when I used to drink wine in the evenings.”

It comes up in conversations about perimenopause, sleep, and caregiving.
They are talking to me about cannabis because I’m a lawyer-turned-consultant in the cannabis industry, so I’m always talking about cannabis. It’s exhausting, sometimes. But here’s my point: They think they’ve discovered something. But, they are careful how they talk about it and who they talk about it to because of the residual stigma. My friends and I are, after all, of the “This is Your Brain on Drugs” generation who were taught that consumption is bad somehow and you are bad if you use it or allow other people to use it.

And yet, we’re part of a movement of midlife women looking for options. And that includes options other than consuming alcohol.
Hemp-derived THC drinks began widely appearing in Minnesota stores after favorable law changes in 2022-2023 allowed the industry to flourish. Minnesota’s safe products, under sensible regulation, have seen exponential growth in Minnesota and nationally. Minnesota has been at the forefront of the hemp-derived THC beverage movement, with Minnesota brands now distributed nationally through Total Wine and major liquor distributors. Minnesota is also one of the only states where you can buy a THC drink at many bars and restaurants, right alongside alcoholic options, supported and outlined clearly via state law.

I spoke at the International Bar Association conference at MJBizCon last December about how Minnesota’s regulatory strategy has made its drinks safe and reliable. As other states struggle with regulating these new products, I argued that they should follow Minnesota’s approach of regulating, taxing, and testing rather than banning them altogether.

Suffice it to say, my friends in Minnesota are part of a much larger national trend of those who are embracing hemp-derived THC drinks as a substitute for alcohol. I believe that the familiar beverage format and the absence of the word “marijuana” decreased the stigma enough for Minnesotans to try them, like them, and realize the benefits of cannabis.

And yet, we’re part of a movement of midlife women looking for options. And that includes options other than consuming alcohol.

This has been part of my journey, too. I was a wine mom four years ago. Sure, I’d smoke a joint if someone passed me one at a party, but I didn’t know where to buy it, except on trips to legal states. Unlike most of the people in the cannabis industry, I’m new to being a regular cannabis consumer.
But then, my teenager developed a serious medical issue, and I had to learn a whole bunch about marijuana (including that it’s now called cannabis!). Cannabis gave my kid their life back. Knowing more changed both my own consumption choices and the direction of my professional life, as I decided to use my skills as a lawyer for startup businesses to support this budding industry.

That has meant that I now know people who have been growing and/or smoking illegally long before it was legal. The War on Drugs has taken a terrible toll. And yet, I have learned a deep respect for this plant and its power from them. I’ve also learned the racist history of the War on Drugs and of the name “marijuana” (which is why its name is “cannabis” amongst most advocates now).

The hemp-derived drinks are easy, and I see them as an upgrade from alcohol. But I’m now enjoying the ability to select specific strains and natural terpenes that you get when you smoke cannabis flower instead.

And I wonder: Will my college friends follow my lead into consuming flower, especially once legal dispensaries open? There’s such a need to educate new consumers. I hope they know they can ask me for help.

Disclaimer: This article does not purport to be comprehensive or constitute legal advice. Cannabis law, in particular, changes rapidly. Statements herein are the author’s point of view, not the publication, and speak only as of the time they are dated. Keep up with Jen and the Minnesota cannabis industry by subscribing to her newsletter at https://northstarcannabis.beehiiv.com/subscribe.