Women to Watch: Effie Lou Warren

With nearly 20 years of experience in cannabis, from the early medical days through the dawn of legalization, Effie Lou Warren has witnessed the industry’s constant change from behind the scenes.

“I knew it would go legal someday,” says Warren, the owner of Headie.Tv and a rep for Seattle Marijuana Company. “I remember, back then, wondering what the packaging was going to look like, whether people were really going to carry around joints.”

In some ways, legalization is similar to what she imagined, but she misses the deeper connections created with patients before recreational cannabis businesses opened in Washington in 2014.

Warren joined Seattle Marijuana Company about four years ago, and found the company she’d admired from afar to be the true definition of a team. From its leadership to each of the company’s 30 employees, she feels fortunate to be surrounded by supportive professionals committed to “providing solid products, providing the same experience time and time again, the exact same way.”

But the industry at large remains a challenge for many women. Warren says she’s seen “the most beautiful, inspirational women” work so hard without the recognition they deserve.

“There are so many that have left because there are people that have kept them down or kept them out,” Warren says. “It’s hard to find strength in numbers when we’re so spread out and we’re trying to compete, even just for our jobs, let alone breaking through any ceilings. I know I’m not accepting an award, but I want to make sure there are other women that are recognized. I’ll just say some first names — Morgan, Aubrey, Rachael, Amber, Catalina, Ashley, Nikita, Michelle, Jessica, Cameron and Jamie and a special thanks to Sierra and Lilly and so many others — women who have done such remarkable things and helped move us forward.”