Latina-Owned Cannabis Brands Are Reshaping the Global Cannabis Industry Across Latin America and the U.S.

Cannabis is no longer just a rapidly growing global industry, it is becoming a cultural space where identity, design, and entrepreneurship intersect. Across Latin America and the United States, Latina-owned cannabis brands are reshaping how the plant is grown, branded, and understood. From independent family-run regional businesses in Chile to Colombian hemp fashion innovators crossing borders into U.S. department stores, Latinas are playing ‘high-level’ (no pun intended) in entering the male-dominated industry of cannabis. 

The U.S. Latino Cannabis Consumer: Identity, Culture, and Growth

While much of the cannabis innovation highlighted in Latin America is led by Latina founders building brands from the ground up, the United States tells a slightly different but equally important story: one driven by consumption, culture, and emerging leadership within a rapidly expanding legal market.

Cannabis laws in the United States remain complex and vary by state. As of now, cannabis is legal for medical use in many U.S. states and for adult recreational use in over 20 states while still remaining illegal under federal law. Recently, federal discussions around cannabis rescheduling from Schedule I toward Schedule III have gained momentum in recent years, reflecting shifting attitudes toward medical use and regulation in the United States.

Latino consumers represent one of the fastest-growing demographic groups in the U.S. cannabis industry, influencing everything from product demand to branding language and retail strategy. Yet despite this economic influence, Latinas remain underrepresented in ownership roles across major cannabis markets. However, that is beginning to change, with industry leaders like Susie Plascencia, whom we previously profiled in BoldLatina’s Latinas in Cannabis series (2021), is helping bridge this gap by Latina representation and shaping how cannabis brands speak to Latino identity, lifestyle, and cultural authenticity.

North America may be the largest market, but Latin America isn’t so far behind! The cannabis market in Latin America has an estimated value that has doubled to $440M in 2024 in just one year and is expected to reach nearly $1 billion by 2028.

But stats aside, the following Latina-owned cannabis brands highlight how Latina entrepreneurs are redefining cannabis through design, sustainability, and cultural identity.

Soulblime, a Chilean Family Business That Defies Gender Roles

Chile leads in cannabis consumption and was one of the first Latin American countries to legalize its production for oncology patients thanks to a decree issued in 2015 by former president Michelle Bachelet. This paved the way for Soulblime (a wordplay with “soul” and “sublime”) to be born. The brand may not have a long history, but it’s a family business run by the Gelman sisters. Alanis, a producer by training, and psychologists Aeleen and Karin were raised in a pro-cannabis household, with a dad who distributed brands like OCB and Clipper. 

In just three years, Sublime went from being a small business to operating in six Latin American countries and two European ones (Spain and Germany.) Their product line stems from blunt wraps in fruit flavors and colorful stash tubes to rolling trays and collectible cases. To get this far, they had to face the ongoing challenge of existing as Latina businesswomen.

“We had to convince ourselves we belonged. Being in a room full of global brands, you start asking, ‘Are we good enough?’” Alanis said in an interview with Forbes.

She also warns potential female entrepreneurs about prejudice inside the cannabis industry, especially young businesswomen who don’t “look the part.” However, she doesn’t wish to scare fellow Latinas off, but rather to encourage them to fight.

“I think the cannabis world is still very sexist. First, my appearance: people think I don't smoke, just like with my products: what does the design or how I dress have to do with anything? Smoking is something everyone does. And the business side: when I'm speaking at the Cannabis Expo and I say ‘I'm the owner,’ they start responding to the man next to me. That's really hard. You see very few women,” Alanis said in an interview with El Planteo.

Stardog Loungewear (Colombia to the US)

People don’t usually think of clothing when talking about the cannabis industry, but it may be a sustainable solution to climate change. According to the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the fashion industry is the second most polluting industry in the world after the oil industry. The sector uses 93 billion cubic meters of water each year and that half a million tons of microfibers are dumped into the sea annually, equivalent to 3 million barrels of oil. It also produces more carbon emissions than all international flights and maritime shipping combined!

Here’s where Stardog Loungewear, a Colombian-based clothing brand, comes into play. Seeking to “change the status quo, one sweatshirt at the time” (as it says on their website), this venture makes sustainable sneakers and clothes from hemp textiles as a way of reverting the damage made by the fashion industry. Paz Morales, Principal Designer and Creative Director, highlights what happens after the clothes may end up being thrown away.

“When discarded, hemp fiber biodegrades in approximately one year and is hypoallergenic because no chemicals are added during its transformation process,” she said in an interview with El Tiempo.

The brand has recently entered Macy’s stores, and available on Amazon, a milestone that made it one of the first Latinx hemp-focused brands to enter a major US retail store.

Doble Reina, Growing Feminism and Fresh Aesthetics in Chile

Despite the fact that female marijuana plants are the ones that bear the buds for cannabis, the aesthetics of the products have a strongly masculine imprint. That contradiction inspired Florencia and Javiera, who also happen to be sisters.

“We realized that there was a group that was not being served. Specifically, women or people who were looking for a design that was different from what already existed. Everything was too similar, rough, and masculine. That’s when we saw a business opportunity that we could relate to from the perspective of ‘I also want something that is made for me,’” explained Florencia in an interview with El Planteo.

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This is how Doble Reina was born, a Chilean brand that specializes in handmade ceramic smoking accessories, the designs are so beautiful that they could easily be displayed like a work of art! In fact, that was the whole point of the sisters’ venture: to destigmatize an increasingly common practice such as smoking cannabis. Consumers shouldn’t have to hide who they are if they don’t want to.

“We considered how it would fit into the home environment, making it a little ambiguous, so that it's not obvious that ‘oh, I smoke marijuana,’ but rather something that goes unnoticed and that you can share with whoever you want,” the sisters said in an interview with El Planteo.

Ever since it entered the US market, Doble Reina’s loyal fanbase has grown. However, even though they sell legal accessories, they have faced many challenges when trying to expand their business, from banks, payment processors and ad platforms.

“You can’t rely on traditional marketing. We contacted 20 agencies, and 15 told us they wouldn’t work with a cannabis brand,” explained Javiera in an interview with Forbes.  

Cannabis is much more than its medicinal impact, regulation or stigma, it is cultural identity and an inclusive lifestyle being shaped by Latina-owned cannabis brands. The acceptance and legalization of cannabis in the Americas from Canada, United States to Latin America continue to shift towards progress and let us not forget that Latinos are not just consumers but creators!

Resumen en español

El artículo presenta cómo tres marcas lideradas por mujeres latinas están renovando la industria del cannabis con identidad cultural y propuestas innovadoras. Soulblime, creada por las hermanas Gelman en Chile, pasó en pocos años de ser un emprendimiento familiar a expandirse a Europa y América Latina, con productos que desafían los prejuicios de género en el sector. También en Chile, Doble Reina de las hermanas Florencia y Javiera propone accesorios de cerámica que transforman la estética masculina tradicional del cannabis en objetos de diseño pensados para normalizar el consumo. En Colombia, Stardog Loungewear apuesta por la sostenibilidad a través de ropa y calzado de cáñamo, logrando incluso llegar a las tiendas Macy’s en Estados Unidos.