An Interview With Candice Georgiadice
Attend as many small intimate cannabis events as you can. You can meet industry people, hear their stories, learn what is missing, and you can start to build your community. Example: When I started in this industry, I would attend Women Grow meetings in Orange County. To this day, I’ve made some of the best connections attending those meetings versus going to say a High Times event where it’s too big to actually get to know people.
As a part of my series about strong women leaders in the cannabis industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tamara Anderson, Founder of Culinary & Cannabis.
Tamara Anderson is Founder of Culinary & Cannabis, an all sensory interactive cannabis event production company. Tamara oversees daily operations and growth for Culinary & Cannabis including online content, marketing, and brand partnerships. A pastry chef, registered nurse, and MMJ patient herself who progressively and knowledgeably understands the complex intersection of medical cannabis and traditional healthcare, Tamara’s focus helps educate folks on total plant use by providing unique experiences for learning and education. Through luxury Culinary & Cannabis Events, Tamara brings together healthcare professionals, advocacy groups, and food & wine experts within the community for a great cause. One of the highest goals of Culinary & Cannabis Events is to refute the stigma associated with medical marijuana treatment by exploring its many delicious culinary possibilities. From online modules and social media engagement, to in-person classes, culinary, and wellness spa functions, Tamara specializes in making people comfortable with working with cannabis and its myriad wellness applications. Tamara’s consulting work and Culinary & Cannabis engagements (like Canna Cool Lounge and Harrington Wellness) are headquartered in Southern California with demand rapidly growing across North America, the UK, Australia, and Asia. Follow Tamara online at https://www.culinaryandcannabis.com
Culinary & Cannabis is an all sensory interactive cannabis event production company, covering all things cannabis with an emphasis on luxurious self care, health, wellness and beauty. Founded by nurse Tamara Anderson with a mission to showcase cannabis’s positive impact on people’s lives, Culinary & Cannabis is where the canna-curious feel comfortable to learn and explore along with conscious cannabis consumers who celebrate a sophisticated stoner style. Access to education is the key to change — Culinary & Cannabis harnesses this passion to meet consumers where they’re at. For more information and to attend upcoming Culinary & Cannabis events, please visit: https://www.culinaryandcannabis.com
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us the “backstory” about what brought you to the cannabis industry?
The lack of knowledge available in regards to infusing with cannabis brought me here, but what keeps me here is the desire to spread awareness on the variety of ways in which this plant can be used.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When we had Drummer Boy attend one of our events, I learned he had been smoking since his teenage years but wasn’t even aware of what CBD was until we introduced it to him. That’s when I discovered that celebrity and talent don’t always have access to information and education because it’s rare that they can be in this space with their peers allowing them the chance to learn something new.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I don’t know if I have gotten to the point that any of my mistakes were funny!…except maybe when we produced our first Coachella event many years ago, and the owner locked half of our party out of the property. Turns out, he didn’t tell us he gave the gate key to another guest. Lesson learned: always make sure you have the venue secured.
Do you have a funny story about how someone you knew reacted when they first heard you were getting into the cannabis industry?
My son’s reaction was the best. He was super excited and very proud, and even more excited than when I graduated from nursing school.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
There are a couple of people, including my event production mentor Renea Martoff. She was one of the first people I called when I came up with the concept. She is the one who helped me mood board my vision of cannabis sophistication. She’s given a lot and to this day believes in my mission.
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Yes, we are working on the launch of our CannaSpa Parties, a new service that is directly for consumers. They can order a cannabis-inspired wellness pamper party for themselves and their friends. Think girls night-in: the infused version. I think it will give cannabis consumers the option to have an event created with their friends and family where everyone can feel included even if you don’t consume. Cannabis consumers don’t have a lot of options available when it comes to creating experiences but we want to change that.
Ok. Thank you for all that. Let’s now jump to the main core of our interview. Despite great progress that has been made we still have a lot more work to do to achieve gender parity in this industry. According to this report in Entrepreneur, less than 25 percent of cannabis businesses are run by women. In your opinion or experience, what 3 things can be done by a)individuals b)companies and/or c) society to support greater gender parity moving forward?
- More consumers seeking and supporting women-owned brands.
- More companies highlighting and bringing awareness that they are women-owned, as well as creating experiences where consumers can connect with the women behind the brands.
- Society can support greater gender equality moving forward by sharing needs with women in cannabis who are business owners. Let us know what we can be doing more of or what you’re looking for, so we can serve you better.
You are a “Cannabis Insider”. If you had to advise someone about 5 non intuitive things one should know to succeed in the cannabis industry, what would you say?
- Attend as many small intimate cannabis events as you can. You can meet industry people, hear their stories, learn what is missing, and you can start to build your community. Example: When I started in this industry, I would attend Women Grow meetings in Orange County. To this day, I’ve made some of the best connections attending those meetings versus going to say a High Times event where it’s too big to actually get to know people.
- Don’t stray too far from your passion. This industry is very new and needs everything, so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, just turn it green. Example: If you know how to write professionally, then you can turn it into becoming a cannabis specific journalist but you have to know how to write thought provoking articles first.
- Visit other places where cannabis is legal. It is a very eye opening experience. Example: I live in California and we have access to education, experiences and a variety of flower strains. In Atlanta, many people still don’t even know the difference between CBD and THC.
- Document your cannabis consumption experience by keeping a diary. You can experiment with different methods. Then, write how it made you feel, the time it took to take effect, how long it lasted, and so on. Example: Grab a journal (Goldeaf makes a few different types) or notebook and make it your personal consumption tracker.
- Work with people who are good at whatever it is that they specialize in. That doesn’t always mean cannabis first. You can take the time to learn about cannabis. The rules and regulations are constantly changing and that may mean we don’t really have any experts in the industry (Oooo that might get me in trouble). Example: You should be a chef before you become an infusion chef or at least know how to authentically cook first.
Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the cannabis industry?
- The versatility of products in the industry especially the beverage sector (I like Saka Vinfusions, a cannabis-infused beverage made from alcohol-removed wines from Napa Valley).
- That cannabis education has been added to many nursing curricula.
- More schools are providing education on the plant.
Can you share 3 things that most concern you about the industry? If you had the ability to implement 3 ways to reform or improve the industry, what would you suggest?
- The talk of social equity but the lack of actual social equity or support.
- Lack of women-owned brands and funding for them.
- Legacy operators are being left behind, and it’s a shame that some or still have to operate in the legacy market.
The solution? I would suggest a true social equity program, one that implements assistance all the way through the process and includes the full scope of running a cannabis business with expansion of the ancillary services with options for land or shared spaces.
What are your thoughts about federal legalization of cannabis? If you could speak to your Senator, what would be your most persuasive argument regarding why they should or should not pursue federal legalization?
People may not like me for this, but I think once we have federal legalization we will also be able to do true research on the plant and what type of diagnosis it can help, and finding out which cannabinoids can substitute certain medications. The research could be self-funding if done the correct way.
Today, cigarettes are legal, but they are heavily regulated, highly taxed, and they are somewhat socially marginalized. Would you like cannabis to have a similar status to cigarettes or different? Can you explain?
It will be heavily regulated just based on the fact of how it can affect each person differently. Regulations are important to safeguard those who are not responsible. We are already highly taxed but there needs to be a balance so that the industry can strive and grow. I think cannabis can have a status in-between cigarettes and alcohol but it’s a fine line.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“No” just means “not right now.” I’ve found a lot of times people say NO for a variety of reasons but usually there is something you can do that changes their mind. So never take NO as a negative, take it as the opportunity to show and improve. On a regular basis, I receive calls from brands that decline to participate in one of our events but then see the recap or hear about the experience and have since wanted to do events with us.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
It would be to provide cannabis education through experiences around the world. We don’t know what we don’t know. You can make informed decisions with more knowledge about cannabis and its benefits. We want to share that.
Thank you so much for the time you spent with this. We wish you only continued success!
Wisdom From The Women Leading The Cannabis Industry, With Tamara Anderson of Culinary & Cannabis was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.