S04 EP 08: Maya Elisabeth of Whoopi & Maya

More than half the U.S. population lives in states with medical or adult use cannabis laws on the books. As the nascent cannabis industry grows, some business owners are careful to establish sustainable operations from the beginning. Maya Elisabeth, co-founder of Whoopi & Maya and founder of Om Edibles, is one of those smart business owners.

Maya Elisabeth began working in California’s cannabis industry after graduating from San Francisco State University. In 2008 she formed Om Edibles, an all-female collective, focusing on high-quality ingredients, including sun-grown cannabis. Om Edibles products have won seven High Times Cannabis Cup awards and Elisabeth enjoys a reputation as one of the best creators of medical cannabis products in California. In 2015, Elisabeth partnered with Whoopi Goldberg to create the Whoopi & Maya line of medical cannabis products, focused on providing relief from menstrual pain.

In this episode of Sustainable Business Fridays, Bard MBA student Jennifer Shelbo explores how Elisabeth’s choices, from cultivating sun-grown cannabis using organic methods to sourcing fair trade and organic ingredients for her product lines, demonstrates that incorporating sustainability into business operations is a recipe for success.