Streaming with closed captions
Persister: Women speaking up and being heard
When California decriminalized the recreational use of cannabis and began issuing licenses for canna-businesses, entrepreneurs inhaled the possibilities of a newly legalized market. Even the underground pioneers who had built the industry could now turn "legit." Filmmaker Chris J. Russo follows six women, both new and legacy players, as they hang their shingles in this wild green west. What begins as a fascinating look at a diverse group of entrepreneurial women—including a Latinx LGBTQ activist, mompreneur family farmers, the original "Bud Sisters" and even an elderly Black retired school principal—quickly becomes a window into a troubling new intersection of social inequality and racialized access. Corporate mega-grows displace artisanal independents and excessive regulations aren't applied equally to marginalized groups. Watch what happens when American greed bogarts one of the world's most healing and compassionate plants. Myrocia Watamaniuk
On Thursday, May 6 at 7:20 ET (4:20 PT) join the Lady Buds team for a Facebook Live Q&A.
Persister program presented in partnership with Oxfam Canada
MEDIA COVERAGE