We're diving into a whole new topic here on the HER Podcast today: medical cannabis.
As cannabis use grows and garners more public interest, it still has a long history of stigma and legal troubles. Best friends turned business partners Gina Dubbé and Dr. Leslie Apgar are here to tell us all about their journey to opening a medical dispensary. Dr. Apgar is a board-certified OBGYN with 17 years of experience in direct patient care. She has a passion for helping patients find ease and health through quality medical cannabis and natural medicine. She is also the co-founder and medical director of Greenhouse Wellness, a medical cannabis dispensary, as well as Co-Founder of Blissiva, a female-focused cannabis line.
And Gina is a serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist with a proven track record of grown successful businesses in emerging industries. Currently, she serves as the managing director and co-founder of Greenhouse Wellness, an award-winning dispensary in Maryland; Blissiva, a female-focused cannabis line; and co-founder of TheraPearl, a revolutionary hot and cold compress.
They talk about the obstacles they faced starting not only a dispensary but a women-owned dispensary in Maryland, the future of the medical & recreational industries nationwide, the process of getting a prescription, and more.
High Heals: How Two Women Found Their Footing in the Medical Cannabis Industry
Dr. Leslie Apgar & Gina Dubbé
Gina Dubbé is a serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist with a proven track record of grown successful businesses in emerging industries. Currently, she serves as the managing director and co-founder of Greenhouse Wellness, an award-winning dispensary in Maryland; Blissiva, a female-focused cannabis line; and co-founder of TheraPearl, a revolutionary hot and cold compress. Her work with TheraPearl led the company to rank on the Inc. 5000 list and she received accolades, including Forbes Magazine’s Women Who Built Outstanding Companies.
Dr. Leslie Apgar is a board-certified OBGYN with 17 years of experience in direct patient care. She has a passion for helping patients find ease and health through quality medical cannabis and natural medicine. She is also the co-founder and medical director of Greenhouse Wellness, a medical cannabis dispensary, as well as Co-Founder of Blissiva, a female-focused cannabis line. Dr. Apgar is also the Founder of PuraVida, a Maryland-based cosmetic spa and laser center, which continues to thrive well into its 10th year of operation.
They are the authors of the bestseller High Heals: How Two Women Found Their Footing in the Medical Cannabis Industry, which chronicles their personal, medical, and entrepreneurial journey from best friends and suburban moms to vocal advocates for shifting the narrative on medical cannabis.
Dubbé and Dr. Apgar have been featured on the Today Show, The Jillian Michaels Show and the Insiders Podcast and in Forbes, Green Market Report, The Business Monthly, Maria Shriver’s Newsletter, Entrepreneur, Yahoo Finance and more.