020: Breaking Stigmas and Cultivating Inclusivity in the Cannabis Industry with Laganja Estranja

There’s no one-size-fits-all career, especially in the world of cannabis. However, there’s one thing we’ve learned in our conversations with industry insiders and talented people building incredible companies: there’s a long way to go before the stigmas around stoner culture, slacking off, and being lazy are gone for good. Jay Jackson, aka Laganja Estranja, is living an unconventional career in cannabis - and is as far from a slacker as you could imagine. Laganja is a world-renowned female illusionist, choreographer, musician, cannabis advocate, and LGBTQ+ icon. You may have seen her on season 6 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Heidi Klum’s Queen of Drag Race, and So You Think You Can Dance. She also graced the cover of New York Magazine’s The Most Powerful Drag Queens in America issue, and has performed at events and festivals all over the world. Today, you’ll hear the story of how an injury and successful treatment convinced Laganja to make cannabis her platform, what brands are doing right (and wrong) in trying to reach wider audiences, and what she’s doing to advocate for both cannabis and the LGBTQ+ community in an utterly unique way. KEY TAKEAWAYS How a serious injury sustained as a dancer led Laganja to medical cannabis. How Laganja built a platform designed to survive the COVID-19 pandemic. What it means to Laganja to be drag’s reigning cannabis ambassador - and why she still sees the mainstream cannabis industry as not open to the queer community. Why it’s everyone’s responsibility to be critical when it comes to their spending - and what cannabis companies can do to nurture an authentic, inclusive culture and message.  Why Laganja sees full legalization as at least four or five years away, no matter what happens this election. Show Notes For complete show notes, including transcripts, takeaways, and links to all the resources mentioned, visit SoHoExp.com/20 To learn more about the podcast and get access to all episodes, visit: SoHoExp.com/GreenRepeal