MPP Celebrates Women’s History Month

March is Women's History Month, a time to celebrate the incredible contributions of women throughout history. While often overlooked, women have played a pivotal role in shaping the cannabis landscape. This month, we're shining a spotlight on the women who are leading the charge in cannabis advocacy, fighting for policy reform, social justice, and access to this powerful plant.

Here at MPP, we've witnessed firsthand how women in leadership positions can influence positive change as they simultaneously work towards ushering in more women to the burgeoning industry. These women are not just advocating for cannabis; they're advocating for social justice. They understand that cannabis prohibition has been used as a tool of oppression, disproportionately targeting Black and Brown communities. They're fighting to right these wrongs and create a more equitable system for everyone.

To that end, we are excited to shine a spotlight on some of the many women who are leading the charge in the cannabis advocacy movement!

Lauren Daly, Interim Executive Director of the Marijuana Policy Project

Lauren recently returned to MPP as Interim Executive Director after working as a frontline fundraiser for more than a decade in impactful nonprofit organizations. She first got involved in the cannabis movement as a volunteer in 2013, and got her first fundraising job at MPP shortly after. She joined the Students for Sensible Drug Policy team in 2014 and became SSDP's first Development Director, leading fundraising during one of the organization's largest growth periods. In 2020, she became a Development Officer for the American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia. There, she played a key role in steering ACLU-DC's fundraising strategy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. She has also served as a board member for Source Research Foundation, which provides grants for academic research and community projects related to psychedelics.

Karen O'Keefe, Director of State Policies at the Marijuana Policy Project

Karen is an attorney and the Director of State Policies at MPP. She has been with MPP since 2003 and is perhaps the foremost expert in the country on state cannabis policies. Working closely with local advocates and lawmakers, her team played a leading role in the advocacy campaigns that resulted in the first two legalization laws to pass through state legislatures, in Vermont and Illinois. Her team has also played central roles in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, and Rhode Island's successful legalization efforts and the lobbying campaigns that resulted in more than a dozen medical marijuana and decriminalization laws.

Betty Aldworth, Board Chair of the Marijuana Policy Project and Interim Co-Executive Director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)

Betty was a pioneer in the cannabis legalization movement, and served as spokesperson for Colorado's successful Amendment 64 campaign in 2012. As the Director of Communications and Post-Prohibition Strategy at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, she generates support for psychedelic research and reform through the media and illustrates the promise of a post-prohibition world through inspiring public education opportunities. Betty has dedicated her career to building a more sensible future through reforming drug policies to be rooted in safety, justice, and education.

Additionally, we are proud to both recognize and celebrate the women of the MPP team who make our work possible: Kim Napoli (Board of Directors), Bridget Spiddle, Daniela Jang, and Violet Cavendish—as well as other women who are shaping the future of the cannabis reform movement:

Kat Murti, Executive Director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy
Kassandra Frederique, Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance
Frederika McClary Easley, President of the Minority Cannabis Business Association
Steph Sherer, Board President and Executive Director of Americans for Safe Access
Sheri Orlowitz, Board Chair of the Council for Federal Cannabis Regulation
Dr. Chanda Macias, CEO of WomenGrow

Without the contributions of women, the cannabis reform movement would not be where it is today. And to get where we need to go, strong women leaders are going to continue to be at the forefront of this fight to build a legal cannabis reality where no one is left out or left behind.