Ashley Anderson
Tokeativity founders Lisa Snyder (left) and Samantha Montanaro.
“The hemp industry is male-dominated, and so is the cannabis industry in legal states,” says Samantha Montanaro. Many women work in the industry, but “they aren’t owners. They aren’t the ones with the money.”
Montanaro, a Wisconsin native, is co-founder of a group called Tokeativity, which terms itself “a global cannabis community for women.” Montanaro and women’s rights activist Lisa Snyder started the group in Portland, Oregon, in 2016. It’s since grown to more than 12 chapters across the U.S., with one in South Africa. Its debut Madison chapter event was held at Mickey’s Tavern on Aug. 17. Madison is the first chapter in a state where weed isn’t legalized.
Attendees at the first meeting ranged from women in their early 20s to their late 60s, all interested in connecting and learning more about the world of cannabis in Wisconsin.
Tokeativity’s mission is to empower women “at the root level” and work toward normalization of cannabis through in-person and online events. “Tokeativity also bridges the gap between the industry and the consumer,” Montanaro says. She wants to see “budtenders,” who staff dispensaries, impart scientific knowledge to consumers instead of just handing over weed.
In addition to Montanaro, the panel discussion at the event featured Laura Love, founder of Rootz Imports, a head shop in West Bend, Wisconsin; Calyn Ostrowski, Tokeativity Madison co-leader; Felicia Freund, Tokeativity Madison co-leader and grower with Wisconsin Cannabis Cultivars; and Chelsea Mayton, Tokeativity Madison co-leader and CEO of Wisconsin Cannabis Cultivars.
Ostrowski, a former Division I athlete and current board member for several Madison nonprofits, opened up the panel talk. She spoke about women who don’t fit the mold of a typical cannabis smoker and Tokeativity’s goal of breaking those common misperceptions.
Love spoke about her role in the industry as a head shop owner selling CBD products and becoming a hemp grower. Freund and Mayton ended the event by explaining the science of growing in Wisconsin.
Mayton has been in the legal cannabis industry for four years, the first three of them near Portland, where she attended her first Tokeativity event. “I liked what they were doing to empower each other and help everyone find her niche.”
Mayton was 6 years old when her dad died of cancer. Later, as a young woman, she became interested in growing cannibis after she discovered how it could have helped him. “Cannabis has anti-carcinogenic and anti-proliferative properties, meaning that it inhibits the development of cancerous cells,” says Mayton. “It slows their reproduction without destroying the body’s healthy cells.”
At the time, even hemp was illegal to grow in Wisconsin, so Mayton left for Oregon to learn more about the growing process. In November 2017, when small-batch CBD cannabis became legal to use and grow in Wisconsin, Mayton returned to Dane County.
While she is currently growing hemp in Sun Prairie, her plan is to grow plants “with equal amounts of THC and CBD — it’s more medicinal” whenever that becomes legal in the state. Mayton predicts marijuana will be legalized in Wisconsin by 2022.
There are signs that the attitude toward cannabis in the state is changing. Last month, members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Revenue and Financial Institutions unanimously approved the Growing Opportunities Act, which would encourage hemp production in Wisconsin. The bill has yet to be scheduled for a vote before the full Senate.
Mayton sees opportunity for Tokeativity to educate the community about the uses of the cannabis plant before legalization happens: “Tokeativity is also working to get rid of taboos and stigmas that come with legalization,” she says.
Mayton objects to a common perception that cannabis is a gateway drug, and feels that research shows it is “not only safer than legal drugs such as alcohol, tobacco and opiates, but it can actually help treat addiction to these deadly substances,” she says.
The Tokeativity website features a directory of woman-owned cannabis businesses, and links to its own online classes such as “Cannabis Science” and “Horticulture & Cultivation.” “Tokeativity Connect” is an online platform where chapter members can create profiles and discuss cannabis-related topics.
Tokeativity’s next Madison event, “Witchy Women,” will be held on Oct. 13 — the night of the full moon. In addition to networking and informal breakout Q&A sessions with co-leaders, there will also be a DJ and belly dancing. Anyone interested in attending should email Mayton at info@wisconsincannabiscult.com.
Group meetings will be held at least quarterly. Locations will not be publicized. Mayton says it’s for the protection of the women involved. “Women with families and careers are worried that public association with cannabis could hurt their reputations,” Mayton says. “Women are responsible for the majority of household purchasing decisions related to health and medicine, and we need a safe space where we can talk about how to safely and legally use cannabis.”
