MJstack’s team of cannabis business advisors are industry experts who offer free services to ensure you have the cannatech stack you need so your business can thrive.
Bianca Buium joined the MJstack team in 2021 and plays a key role in the company to help cannabis operators or aspiring operators piece together all the services and tools they’ll need to run a successful business. Because MJstack is committed to working with a broad, diverse group of business owners, it’s important for us to be inclusive in our own hiring practices. Women are very underrepresented in the cannabis industry, and Bianca has definitely made her own mark, both inside and outside of MJstack. And as March is Women’s History Month, it’s the perfect time to celebrate the contributions of women in all realms of history and society. Here’s a bit of Bianca’s story:
How did you get your start in cannabis?
I’ve had my Colorado med card for many years to treat chronic nausea and stomach issues, and I’ve felt passionate about plant medicine for a long time. In 2017 and freshly out of college, I thought I’d spend a few months following my dream of working at a dispensary, but would eventually move on to a job in my field of study. I got my first budtending job at a dispensary in Denver and was hooked on this industry. Here we are five years later, and I couldn’t be happier that I followed my gut and pursued the industry I love.
Have you encountered any barriers as a woman in male-dominated industry?
As a woman in cannabis, I’ve had to fight for a seat at the table at every step. In my days budtending, I had countless guys try to mansplain dabbing to me or refuse my help in selecting products, assuming I didn’t know what I was talking about. People tend to assume women don’t smoke as much cannabis as men do and therefore aren’t well versed in this industry. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it, but I don’t let it deter me.
What have you learned from working in this industry and what does the industry mean to you?
This industry has meant everything to me! It’s been a really unique experience working with people of all different backgrounds brought together by cannabis. It’s been especially inspiring working with social equity groups and seeing folks with diverse and minority backgrounds be able to open their own businesses and pursue their passions in this industry. I have a deeper appreciation than ever for my local mom and pop dispensary because I know how much love the owners and team put into it to keep the dream alive.
What led you to the tech side of the industry?
While I had an amazing experience working in dispensaries, I wanted to try something different. I found myself at a career crossroads and thought my only option was to put my passions on hold and apply my sales experience outside of cannabis. I ended up leaving the cannabis industry for an opportunity at a tech start up on their business development team, where I discovered a new passion, SaaS. I was working with Fortune 500 companies to improve their internal compliance processes with software and found it very fulfilling. I ultimately came to the point where I was ready to marry my two passions of cannabis and software and have been able to pursue that with MJstack.
What’s your favorite part of your role with MJstack?
I love the honesty that I can have with my clients! I’m not motivated to push any one solution or service, so we can really problem solve together to find the best fit for their cannabis business needs.
Do you feel like being a woman in the industry helps you better relate to a more broad and diverse group of business owners in your role with MJstack?
I grew up in Queens, NY to immigrant parents, so I’m no stranger to relating to diverse groups of people. I think my background, coupled with being a woman, has only helped me build connections with our clients and help them see their business to its truest potential.
How would you encourage more women to make their mark in cannabis?
This industry is so welcoming of all backgrounds, so find your niche in this industry and run with it. I found my passion in problem solving and helping people, which is why I felt so drawn specifically to budtending. Cannabis helped me live a normal life and I wanted to give back and share that freeing feeling with my patients and customers while I was a budtender. Now on the MJstack team, I’m still helping people but in a different way. I’m empowering people to run their business more efficiently by sharing my experiences and expertise in cannabis with them.
What’s a little known fun fact about you that clients would never guess?
I got fired from my very first job as a camp counselor for smoking cannabis at a staff event.
We’re so grateful to have Bianca on the team to share her experience and expertise with dispensary operators looking for tech solutions to solve pressing business problems now and in the future. If you’re an operator who knows you need some tech help but aren’t sure where to begin, reach out to our team and let us do the heavy lifting for you. Our consulting services are 100% free to you, and together we’ll find cannabis-specific technology solutions to streamline your operations and maximize revenue.
