Advocates come in many forms, toiling away and fighting the good fight, often in obscurity, so that ordinary civilians may enjoy increased freedoms to access and consume the plant under worldwide prohibition. C&TT would like to take a moment to celebrate the unsung sheroes of the cannabis industry, who have demanded patient access, marched in protest, written to their government leaders, and are continually the change they wish to see in the world. We asked for submissions from people in the industry, stating who they would like to give flowers to and why. These were some of the responses. Many more are still to come.
Flowers for Roz McCarthy, Founder and CEO of Minorities for Medical Marijuana (M4MM) from Gia Morón, CEO, GVM Communications, Inc.
Over a decade ago, Roz launched Minorities for Medical Marijuana (M4MM) with a clear mission to ensure equitable access to medical cannabis for marginalized communities.
Roz quickly recognized that true advocacy required more education, more justice, and more policy reform. Under her leadership, M4MM became a national force, tackling everything from expungement clinics for justice-impacted individuals to state and federal lobbying efforts.
She’s provided thoughtful counsel to new business owners, always with a focus on empowering minority-led ventures. She’s never been one to chase the spotlight, but her impact is undeniable.
Her voice has pushed this industry forward, and her work has created real opportunities for so many people. She’s the type of advocate who doesn’t just talk about change, she builds it.
Flowers For Amber E. Senter, CEO of Supernova Women, from Kaisha-Dyan McMillan, Freelance Journalist
Over the years, I’ve quoted Amber in multiple articles that’ve significantly benefited from her expertise on social equity and her frankness about the importance of building a diverse and equitable industry, perspectives for which she has rightly achieved broad recognition.
But perhaps less widely known is Amber’s remarkable ability to create memorable consumer experiences. Her 2019 Easy Sundaze event remains a standout: an elegant Oakland affair that blended top-shelf cannabis with chef-prepared food, live music, and speakeasy vibes, helping me feel comfortable consuming in public for the first time.
A year later, Amber’s Congo Club subscription box, filled with delicious Congolese Red, brought much-needed joy to lockdown while introducing me to landrace strains. Her Landrace Origins coffee and cannabis events drew beautiful, eclectic crowds and granted facetime with the female cultivator behind the best Durban Poison I’ve ever smoked.
Amber is expanding into hemp beverages with the August 1 launch of Cooler, available at LandraceOrigins.com and in select stores around Atlanta.
Amber’s intersectional approach to activism, product development, and consumer events is inspired by her lived experiences. For me, a middle-aged Black woman, she’s also managed to create experiences where I felt seen.
Flowers for Stephanie Shepard, Director of Advocacy for Last Prisoner Project and Board Chair, from Mary Bailey, Managing Director & Co-founder, Last Prisoner Project
Working alongside Stephanie Shepard has been one of the greatest honors of my journey with Last Prisoner Project. We met within the first few months of launching the organization, and from day one, Stephanie has brought heart, courage, and unwavering commitment to the fight for cannabis justice.
Stephanie serves as LPP’s Director of Advocacy and Chair of our Board of Directors – roles she approaches with extraordinary passion and care. She goes above and beyond to connect with our constituents who are currently incarcerated for cannabis-related victimless offenses. Her leadership of our prison letter-writing program is compelling. Through this initiative, Stephanie helps ensure that prisoners feel seen, supported, and not forgotten—a simple but profound act of humanity.
One example of her going above and beyond is a recent trip she took to visit one of our constituents, Caswell Senior, who is currently incarcerated in Oregon. Knowing this visit could resurface trauma from her own 10-year federal prison sentence, Stephanie didn’t hesitate. She arrived with compassion and presence, embodying what true advocacy truly looks like.
Flowers for Sara Brittany Somerset, Ph.D., by Erin Gorman Kirk, Esquire, the country’s first Cannabis Ombudsman.
I spent decades in the trenches of international diplomacy at the United Nations negotiating maritime, military, and trade agreements while simultaneously trying to normalize cannabis, only to be met with dismissive nods and diplomatic dodgeballs.
I had no idea there was a powerhouse working through different channels. Dr. Sara Brittany Somerset entered without ceremony, but her quiet conviction toppled the conversation off its axis, rerouting what had seemed fixed into something entirely transformative.
In 2011, SB, as she is affectionately known, founded the UN’s first-ever cannabis and drug policy news bureau.
Recognition? Sparse. Impact? Monumental.
Her relentless internal advocacy—paired with global pressure—helped usher in the 2021 decision to strike “cannabis and cannabis resin” from Schedule IV of the UN’s narcotics treaty. To commemorate that seismic shift, she established International Cannabis Liberation Day on January 22. I celebrate it with her, and because of her. And I’m still in awe.
SB’s name appears on the Top 100 Most Influential list in the industry, though that’s primarily thanks to her prolific writing across the cannabis landscape.
Her advocacy? Quiet. Her influence? Thunderous.
While living in Jamaica, SB leveraged her geopolitical savvy to consult with several leaders of the country’s Cannabis Licensing Authority, championing fairer access for Indigenous farmers. She advocates fiercely for affordable cannabis access for people with disabilities and donates her time to Bluestockings Cooperative, supporting harm reduction and community outreach initiatives.
Flowers for Alice “Leela” Van Zyl, harm reduction advocate, South Africa, from an anonymous admirer.
South African advocate for human rights and harm reduction, Leela Van Zyl, first found their voice as an activist in the cannabis space. As a long-term adult consumer starting in the era of prohibition, Leela realized that human rights are afforded along lines of privilege rather than equality.
As South Africa continues to develop a “grey area” cannabis industry under current laws that allow for private adult use and limited medicinal use of cannabis, Leela is doing harm reduction training and having discussions in social clubs, advocacy against the abuse of medicinal routes for recreational purposes, and offering research support to both academics and stakeholders in cannabis and wider drug policy. Leela is also a writer and has contributed to various advocacy-focused outlets globally.
Leela’s core focus areas include Harm Reduction, Plant Medicines, Drug Policy Reform, and the evolving Cannabis landscape in South Africa and beyond. Drawing from the latest academic and industry research as well as a growing network of industry experts, they offer insightful and accurate content on these topics. They also proofread and/or develop texts relating to these areas, as well as other fields.
