'Lady Buds' Documentary: Women's Struggles And Victories In The Cannabis Industry Generates Two Spinoffs

Lady Buds is a documentary that explores the lives of six women seeking to enter the legal cannabis market in Northern California. The film, shot between 2017 and 2019, chronicles the lives of Sue Taylor, Chiah Rodriques, Felicia Carbajal, Karyn Wagner and The Bud Sisters Pearl Moon and Dr. Joyce Centofanti.

Lady Buds aims to shed light on the problems faced by women who are part of the cannabis industry. As reported by Deadline on February 23, the documentary from director and producer CJ Russo, is getting a pair of spinoffs: a scripted comedy feature as well as a non-scripted series. 

Former WME and Endeavor Content executive Pippa Lambert is developing a comedy feature based on the documentary, titled Hellcat.

“Women may not be the face of cannabis, but they’ve always been the backbone of the culture. Before legalization, 36% of leadership roles in the industry were held by women, and that number is now 22%," Lambert said. "These growers are as dynamic as they are diverse, and they’re truly inspiring. I’m thrilled to be bringing their story, a true and still unfolding David and Goliath tale for our times, to life on the big screen.”

The second project is a series directed by Wally Eltawashy for Yoruba Media Labs. The project focuses on Sue Taylor, and her daily life as a cannabis business owner, providing cannabis access to seniors.

“I couldn’t be happier to know that my film Lady Buds is inspiring adaptations that will allow me to continue to support and tell the stories of these courageous, pioneering women,” Russo shared on social media.

“This film is kind of nothing like you’ve ever seen before because there hasn’t ever really been a film that’s showed such a wide range of areas that’s just like seeing it through a female lens,” the director told High Times. “In my film, you explore the challenges of the entire supply chain with the women who are directly engaged in it. I like to make films that I want to see, so I want [to] see more women in positions of power in roles that are very positive,” Russo added. 

Lady Buds will be available on Starz starting March 1. Russo described Starz, as “the perfect home to showcase this film that explores women empowerment and social justice,” and regarded the acquisition as “a dream come true.”

Image Via El Planteo.