Women to Watch: Lux

Lux, the “Self Appointed Ambassador of St. Lou” and cannabis influencer, is here to medicate and educate.

Starting in radio, Lux took her voice on the mic and paired it with her awesome personality and amazing dancing skills to bring it to social media! It’s not easy leaving something you’ve loved and succeeded at for 15 years but we all think Lux made the greatest decision to use her voice to help destigmatize cannabis use.

These days we’re seeing more and more cannabis influencers pop up on the scene and it feels like Lux has been here since the beginning. She is a natural and we’re proud that she represents Missouri. 

We knew learning about Lux would be just as fun as watching her on social media platforms. She radiates happiness, joy, and fun in a way that makes it contagious.

“Cannabis is in a very interesting spot,” she told us. With cannabis not being federally legal, traditional advertising like TV or Radio, most of whom are licensed by the FCC, cannot touch the subject, social media seemed like a natural place for her to break the stigma, create awareness, and assist others in finding what they need.

In recent years, social media and content creation have become big business, it’s the newest form of guerilla marketing and for many advertisers, especially in cannabis, it’s one of a limited number of ways to meet their consumers where they are. During the peak of the pandemic, Americans averaged over 3.5 hours on social media daily, according to Forbes. While the pandemic contributed to that increase, Americans still spent more than 2 hours on social media each day in 2021.

For Lux, and other social media influencers and content creators, that means real revenue – as well as real work.

Often overlooked is the work that goes into content creation, for Lux, she likes to spend her morning having coffee and doing research. Checking social media feeds to see what is trending, what reel sounds she likes, and what everyone else is getting into. She also checks in on popular creators and current algorithm trends. 

After the research stage of the day is finished, she uses that info to pre-produce content for the day. Depending on what is needed, she’ll shoot the content while it’s daytime or in a fun nightlife setting. From there, she spends the rest of her time in meetings and on zoom calls with future clients that align with her goals. 

Lux is obsessed with social media and it is proudly her largest and longest-running hyper-focus. She absolutely loves human connection and loves meeting people on social media. By spending a lot of time enjoying the different platforms as a user, it felt very natural when she started working as a creator.  “Oh my gosh, I feel so incredibly lucky to have the option to get into the cannabis industry! It has brought so much love and healing to me and my family.”

How did Lux find cannabis?

With mental illness at times taking her to dark places, she found the consumption of cannabis helped lift her to a safe space instead. “I live with a cocktail of ADHD, Depression, Anxiety, and PMDD just swirling around in me at all times. It’s funny how the very first time I smoked, the Summer after high school graduation, how it was the first time I felt full relief of symptoms…now I didn’t know that is what had taken place exactly, at the time I just remember giggling till I cried about something funny someone said and that I loved how I felt. I was able to be in the present. Depression can come from looking back and feeling sad about what happened in the past, and anxiety is the worry of what’s to come in the future. Cannabis puts me in the present. That is what it did for me that first night and it’s what it does for me now. I am able to instantly reduce anxiety/depression/PMDD and even effectively manage some of the harder ADHD symptoms I deal with’’ she stated. 

Tell us more about where the name midwesternmaryjane came from. 

You can take me out of the Midwest, but you can’t take the Midwest out of me! It’s a nod to my home, and I hope to break down some Midwestern stigmas about consumption. 

What’s one thing you want your followers to absorb when they consume your content?

   

Educate then medicate! We have so much more information than we did even a couple of years ago. The best way to have the best experience is to craft your experience to your specific needs, and we can do that now. No matter if you are a first-time user, a returning user, or a pro….you can now “choose your adventure” so to speak. 

Give some advice you wish you had received to up-and-coming content creators in the cannabis field. 

Please make content! I think we still are fighting stigma and stereotypes, and YOU sharing your experience could be the one who opens up the conversation. We need to open the door for others, show them what’s behind door number 420! Also, reach out to me, I am happy to help or answer any questions. The community is growing and we can lift each other up! 

What does it mean for you to see Missouri legalize adult use cannabis?

I’m all about access! I want as many people here on the earth to have access to this incredible plant and all of its properties. So the first thing adult use would do is take the hundreds of thousands who have medical access and multiply that into millions having access. This to me is the most important part of getting prop 3 passed.  While I would like to see more aggressive expungement overall for nonviolent cannabis crimes, I also realize ours is the most expansive prop put forward by any state that has gotten its adult use passed. I think we will just need to keep fighting for the release of those wrongfully imprisoned.

What are ways the Missouri cannabis community can help women and minorities thrive?

Support and join groups that actively work to lift up women and minorities. I am a member of We Are Jaine, a group that supports, honors, and educates women in this emerging industry. My current favorite brand is Pressure & Co, and yes their flower is divine, but it is a minority-owned company working to impact social equity and economic empowerment in the industry. Lastly, speak people’s names in rooms they aren’t in, especially those with opportunities. If you have a seat at the table, make room and pull up the chairs. 

What challenges do you see personally with being a woman in the industry? 

Honestly, I haven’t seen any! Maybe that’s me just being green, pun intended. I came from a majorly male-dominated industry, and the struggles I faced there haven’t even come up here. Another reason I’m thrilled to jump into this arena. 

Do you have any cool plans in the near or far future you can share with us?

Just keep watching @midwestmaryjane! I have announcements coming. I’ve had to hold my tongue for a long time but I should be able to share shortly!

You can find more of Lux on Instagram and TikTok or at luxstlou.com