Susie Plascencia, the ‘Cannabis Power Player’ Behind HUMO & MOTA

All eyes and ears are in the cannabis business on 4/20; the date, the time and every time the number comes around. While the history of the relation of the number 420 we’ve already unpacked for you, this time around we’d love to introduce you to a cannabis advocate and entrepreneur.

Susie Plascencia is the Brand Partner for Humo, California’s award-winning Mexican American owned and woman-led cannabis brand, and co-founder and CMO for MOTA Glass, a leading brand of American-made functional glass. She’s a multi passionate entrepreneur whose bigger purpose continues to be destigmatizing cannabis in the Latino community to repair the impact of the War on Drugs, and create stable career opportunities for women and people of color.

We got a chance to catch up with Susie over an LATV Exclusive Q&A session. Get to know her more!

How was your Latina upbringing?

I grew up in a traditional Mexican American household in Whittier, California. Lack of Latina representation in the media affected my upbringing and led to issues with self-confidence which later manifested in a delayed start to my entrepreneurial journey.

Not seeing women who looked like me in professional positions of power led me to believe a path toward career success on my terms was simply not possible. Thankfully, shifts in societal norms and the growth of social media marketing have empowered the rise of a new generation of digital entrepreneurs, including myself. I began to see career advancement of women of color in all industries; that, paired with years of study and practice, helped me build the confidence needed to bet on myself and start my first business. I’m now on my third.

While cannabis use wasn’t promoted in my childhood household, my father, who is a medical professional, has always been an advocate for natural medicine. When I began to work in cannabis, he was worried about my safety. But as legalization spread in CA, so did his desire and interest in learning about the burgeoning cannabis industry.

I continue to believe that career opportunity is one of the strongest tools we have for the destigmatization of cannabis in our communities.

What’s the most gratifying part of being in the cannabis industry?

Prior to working in the cannabis industry, I often struggled with identity issues in the workplace. After completing my college education, I entered a corporate environment and began to hide my cannabis use out of fear from colleagues finding out and calling into question my professionalism.

This led to leading double-life. From 9-5, I was a corporate cog and poster child of Latina excellence. But as soon as I got home, I would sit back and enjoy cannabis as part of a healthy lifestyle. This dynamic was harmful in many ways, but most of all, it perpetuated the idea that being a corporate professional and role model for Latinas cannot coincide with being a cannabis consumer which is unequivocally untrue.

The most gratifying part of working in the cannabis industry is being able to finally live in my truth and be my authentic self: an accomplished Latina entrepreneur, c-suite business woman, and proud cannabis consumer.

How have your different projects helped find inclusion for the Latino community?

My businesses are deeply-rooted in the representation and inclusion of the Latino community. With Humo, we achieve inclusion through our branding, apparel, events, and the names of our terpene-forward cannabis strains. Since our launch, we’ve had the pleasure of bringing strains like Mazapán, Cabrona and our award-winning Limonada to market, and witnessing the reactions from people who had never-before-seen their culture and traditions represented on dispensary shelves.

Our latest project for Humo is the launch of our Reserva De La Familia line of special-harvest flower featuring premium genetics from some of the best cannabis breeders in the industry. We devote a portion of our parent company, POSIBL’s, facility to trialing out highly sought-after genetics that can only be produced and released in limited quantities. Our team then goes through an extensive quality assurance process to hand-select only the very best cultivars for inclusion.

Our two strains Neverita, bred by Purple City Genetics and Crema Naranja, bred by Abakaba via Conception Nurseries, are currently available at select dispensaries throughout California.

In a few short years, MOTA Glass went from cannabis industry darling to a globally-recognized smokeware brand with smoke shop and dispensary partners in the US and beyond. Also, as legal cannabis consumption lounges continue to open throughout the country, our American made bongs have quickly become the standard for in-lounge use due to our lab-grade materials and piece sturdiness which allows for optimal cleaning.

How have you seen diversity and representation of Latinas in your industry changed over the years?

Diversity and representation of Latinas in our industry has evolved significantly in the last few years and I’m grateful to have been able to play a part in that with Latinas in Cannabis, an organization I founded to empower Latinas in the cannabis industry through representation, community and career development resources.

What started as a passion project to help Latinas in our industry feel seen has grown into a powerful online and in-person community that’s positively impacting the careers of cannabis-loving Latinas around the world. We even started a holiday, National Latinas in Cannabis Day is now celebrated annually on September 30.

What makes you passionate and proud about your work?

Being a purpose-driven entrepreneur keeps me passionate and proud about the work I do. While we sell products and experiences through my businesses, the bigger purpose continues to be destigmatizing cannabis in the Latino community to repair the impact of the War on Drugs, and create stable career opportunities for women and people of color.

The biggest lesson you’ve learned and can share with up-and-coming entrepreneurs and younger Latinas

The biggest lesson I’ve learned though my journey as a Latina entrepreneur has been not to change myself to try to fit into what I think a company, organization or client wants me to be. I found that this phoniness only leads to unfulfillment and eventual burnout. Instead, I challenge up-and-coming Latina businesswomen and entrepreneurs to lean into their true identities and tap into the power of their own authenticity.

My most-shared advice is: your dream career lies at the intersection of your skills, talent and passion.

Future goals/projects that we can stay tuned for and anything else you want to add.

My personal and professional goals are to continue to grow my businesses to influence the positive perception of cannabis and provide well-paying career opportunities to those from communities impacted by the War on Drugs.