Meet the woman who persuaded Justin Trudeau to legalize cannabis

Paulina Cachero
Canada became the first G-7 country to formally legalize marijuana — and Kelly Coulter, the woman who convinced Justin Trudeau to pass the Cannabis Act, is on an all-time high .
Canada became the first G-7 country to formally legalize marijuana — and Kelly Coulter, the woman who convinced Justin Trudeau to pass the Cannabis Act, is on an all-time high .

When Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was just a member of Parliament in 2012, he had a conversation with an organic farmer, Kelly Coulter. While Trudeau was initially in favor of decriminalizing the possession of marijuana, she tried to persuade him to go big and legalize recreational cannabis across the board. Six years later, he did just that, and on Wednesday, after the passage of Canada’s Cannabis Act in June, more than 100 dispensaries opened their doors to sell weed purchased from around 120 licensed growers.

Coulter’s work is far from done. In fact, she’s just getting started with her all-female cannabis company, Slo Farms.

Based in British Columbia, Slo Farms is inspired by the slow food movement. Coulter hopes to grow cannabis naturally in small amounts, using sustainable farming methods. ”We’ll be cultivating on a natural level — seasonally in harmony with nature, with care, and with stewardship of land, air, and water,” says Coulter.

As fellow cannabis cultivators and distributors rush to get in on what is estimated to be a $5 billion-dollar industry, Coulter’s mission is to ensure that women have a space in the male-dominated business. “As it stands now, the cannabis industry prohibits a good segment of the women’s population and is a reflection of many other sectors, like tech and politics,” she tells MAKERS. “I want to encourage women who are currently farming or interested in farming to go for it.”

Not to mention, she admits, “I’m excited to smash the cannabis patriarchy.”

Medical marijuana use has been legal in Canada since 2000, with 132 government-licensed marijuana producers across the country. However, according to Coulter, as few as two of these facilities are run and operated by women. “That is not equity, ” she says.

However, with the legalization of recreational marijuana and her low-cost, sustainable business, Coulter is trying to change that: “With a less onerous process, women will be able to get back to the garden.”