Crushing the stigma around women and cannabis Women leaders in the cannabis industry are shaping the industry. Joyce Gerber the host of The Canna Mom Show joins Dan Humiston to explain how her podcast shares the voices and stories of the women who are breaking down barriers and building businesses in the emerging cannabis industry, one canna story at a time. Produced by PodCONX https://www.thecannamomshow.com/ https://podconx.com/guests/joyce-gerber
Crushing the stigma around women and cannabis
Women leaders in the cannabis industry are shaping the industry. Joyce Gerber the host of The Canna Mom Show joins Dan Humiston to explain how her podcast shares the voices and stories of the women who are breaking down barriers and building businesses in the emerging cannabis industry, one canna story at a time.
https://www.thecannamomshow.com/
https://podconx.com/guests/joyce-gerber
[00:00:00] Dan Humiston: All right, everyone. Thanks for joining us. And welcome back. We have another great show in store for you today. Joyce Gerber is here to talk about her podcasts, the cannon mom, show Joyce. Welcome to the podcasters.
Joyce Gerber: Thank you, Dan. Good to talk to you. Good to see you. Actually, even though they can't see that I can.
Dan Humiston: Yeah, it's good to see you too. And I have a ton of questions about your podcast, but before I get to them, I want to ask you. How does that high, highly educated attorney, mother of two with degrees from Northeastern university, Tufts university, Connecticut college, living in new England become one of the leading podcast voices for women in the cannabis industry.
Joyce Gerber: Desperation isolation and rejection. It's the perfect trifecta
Dan Humiston: Oh, you got to tell us more. Tell us more.
Joyce Gerber: So I am an attorney by training. I'm also the mother of two, so my children are. Almost done My son just graduated from college. My daughter is a rising junior. I was a woman who was told she could do everything. So I did my entire [00:01:00] generation.
We just did everything the boys did. My third year in law school, I discovered I was pregnant. I did finish law school and I took the bar pregnant, proving my brain and my uterus. Work at the same time, but then I had a baby and all the structures of the world kind of came up against me. And I spent a lot of time in and out of the professional world, because I don't know if your listeners know this, but children do not raise themselves.
So, I have done a lot of different jobs. I practice family law for a while. I was a politician. . I was the mom who did everything that PTA mom. And the thing about the professional world is that when you leave it and you come back, it's a little Nick on your professionalism.
That's really the truth of it in our culture. So, fast forward, 2016, I am back at work. My children are teenagers. My husband, I go to college. And I had my cannabis awakening. We went on a private tour there. I went to a dispensary, a grow facility. I recognized everything I knew about cannabis was wrong.
I came back to Massachusetts. [00:02:00] I told my teenage children, everything I know about cannabis is wrong. They were like, yes. Then Massachusetts was one of the first in the new England to vote for adult use I never had intention of working in cannabis, but then at the end of that year contract, I was working on it.
And then I spent a lot of 2017 just being another invisible over-educated woman.
Fast forward, I go into like therapy. They tell me that I really couldn't have designed anything worse for my personality than family law, which was great because I sucked at it.
Dan Humiston: Yeah.
Joyce Gerber: Then I said, what about cannabis law? I could see That all these law firms are starting to set up cannabis, law divisions.
And she said what a good idea. And you just need one person not to tell you're crazy. And that where the journey started. I thought I would go into cannabis law.
Dan Humiston: That is that is a great story though. And it's so reminiscent of other people's journey to this place it's like you started off in one path and you've realized you were completely wrong. And now you're in a place where you feel like you belong.
So you created the, a mom show, , [00:03:00] which is a podcast about women in the cannabis industry. How does your show help crush the stigma around women in cannabis?
Joyce Gerber: Well, you know, It's really about the transparency. And I do say my own story is a little bit different than the women I interview. I really believe what they said. I believed it was bad for your brain. I believed that the stoners were lazy.
People who weren't going to go anywhere in life. I did smoke pot, but I was always worried about it. I had a few mom friends I think this is so funny. We got like a bud. Go to their beach house, far away smoke our bud feel awesome and then drink our wine and wonder if it was okay to feel awesome that was my relationship with it. . . And I have found these women who I'm meeting. They've healed themselves or even braver wants, have healed their children. And I'm not even sure I would have been able to do that. Cause these women's are taking risks. And even today, women are still taking a risk by having cannabis as medicine
Children are still being taken away. , that is why the Canada mom show is out there to share these stories so people can see that we have to stop. It's a ridiculous thing to hide.
Dan Humiston: I [00:04:00] know. I know but it shows like yours that are getting the message out and, I think one of the reasons why your show is so successful is. Even though you tackle really serious topics. You teach it light. And I think that has a lot to do with your interview style.
You're very loose and it makes your guests feel loose, which, kind of keeps it fun and light.
Joyce Gerber: I can give you as preachy as the next person. I was at a divorce attorney, so, righteous indignation. Literally one of my favorite emotions, but people hear humor. There's something about humor. It breaks through other emotions. It cuts down those defenses
so we have to build an industry that says, we recognize that what you did while you were caring for your children is work.
And even though you weren't monetized for that work, still has value in the world. That monetizes work we have to change that mindset. That is what I'm hoping we can do in cannabis.
Dan Humiston: You're making a giant strides with your podcast, , just getting the message out and making people feel good about what they do. And, you know, like I said, Your podcast is so engaging because it's [00:05:00] fun. And I'm speaking of fun. I have a surprise. I have a surprise clip from one of your shows last year.
Which just absolutely cracked me up. I'm pretty sure we remember who it is. So I'm not going to tell you I'm just going to play it. And then you can explain how you got this unforgettable interview. Are you ready? You ready for this? I remember when seeing was growing at and top of the roof and you didn't know what it was.
And I pointed it out and a cousin pointed out at a barbecue, what is that? And it's growing, it's growing on jumping. He had some plants on Amy's roof, right on the roof, outside of the bedroom. That's fantastic. And we're doing a family barbecue. Yep. And said what is that up there?
I said, oh, it looks like a dead plant. And she said, I don't think it's a dead plant. So who was that?
Joyce Gerber: that? was my mom
Dan Humiston: That is a great, that is great. That
Joyce Gerber: not supposed to be on the show That day. [00:06:00] So I have to do the show in a real studio and , my mom wanted to come to work with me. So it was literally the last show I did before the pandemic cut everything down.
I picked her up and I brought her over and my guests that day had canceled literally on the way over from picking up my mother to getting to the studio. The guests had canceled because it was like the beginning of the pandemic and she was just panicking . So my mother came up to the studio and.
She didn't want to talk. And my producer got her to put her head a pair of headphones on and we just started talking. And I'll just say I am so glad I have that recording. It is just anyone talk to your parents about stuff that you didn't talk to them about, because , that wouldn't have happened.
it's a very hard thing to change people's minds. And I was glad I got to talk to her cause that's how you start the conversation to find out what people believe it.
Dan Humiston: Yeah. And apparently it was happening right underneath her nose, which that's great.
Joyce Gerber: It's like a classic family story. I'm glad I got it. Done tape forever.
Dan Humiston: I know everyone that's heard it enjoyed it as well. Before we wrap up, I wonder if you could share some of your podcasts wisdom [00:07:00] with the people who are thinking about starting a podcast. If they're thinking about doing it with a co-host or CRO host, what are some of the advantages or disadvantages of working with a co-host or just doing it straight up yourself?
Joyce Gerber: So I had a co-host for season one, my friend Amy, and it was great fun. We kind of split things up, but this was always been my sort of dream.
So that's sort of the cohost thing. It's how much is that person that have invested in it and if they want to show up every week, I like having co-hosts, but I've found. What's worked really better for me is my producer. Dave is like my sidekick. So I dolike a tonight show kind of thing.
We do a little back and forth
so it is nice to have that. And having a co-host can be like, someone who get ideas together where then you can do a show. If a guest doesn't show up, that is a benefit.
But
it's like any kind of partnership,
Dan Humiston: yeah, I couldn't agree with you more. And I think it's nice to have that person, especially if you don't have guests, because it's challenging just to ramble on for a half hour by yourself.
Joyce Gerber: yeah. I've never done a ramble. I did a once. I had a, like a guest in a show up and we did interviewed each other, but yeah, it is hard.
Dan Humiston: Yeah. , if you have your mom in the wings, that always [00:08:00] helps.
Joyce Gerber: Always bring your mom to work. I think that's the message. Always bring your mom to work.
Dan Humiston: Well, a new episode of Canada. Mom comes out every week on all the major podcast networks, including pod connects and you can apply to be a guest Joyce. I agree with your son, Josh. You're a force to be reckoned with. Thanks for being on the show.
Joyce Gerber: Thank you for talking to me, Dan. And we actually are taking a break this summer. We're going to be releasing some old shows, but we are starting again in September with season three, talking about caring for and giving voice to women in the emerging cannabis industry. One kinda story.