From Homeless To Queen Zulu: Dr. Chanda Macias’ Journey To Cannabis Leadership And Brittney Griner’s Inspiration

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on Forbes in January 2025. It has been updated in May 2025 to reflect new developments, including Brittney Griner’s canceled appearance at the Women Grow summit.

“I believed in the plant, even when everyone told me I was throwing my life away,” says Dr. Chanda Macias.

Macias stands out in the cannabis space as a scientist, entrepreneur and trailblazer. As the CEO of National Holistic Healing Center in Washington, D.C., she became the first Black woman to open and operate a medical cannabis dispensary on the East Coast. But her journey wasn’t easy.

Raised in a working-class family, Macias became a single mother as a teenager when her son’s father was incarcerated during the height of the war on drugs. “No one ever thought that I was going to go to college,” she recalls. Yet, she enrolled at Howard University, where she discovered a passion for science. “Yes, I was working two jobs and raising a kid, but I fell in love with science,” she says.

As Macias pursued cancer-related research, she began noticing the plant’s potential. “It was common knowledge that if you had cancer, you had to find someone to get marijuana,” she explains. Despite its illegality, cannabis was already a quiet staple of symptom relief in her community.

She delved into emerging research, especially studies out of Israel, and approached faculty about integrating cannabis into her work. “He said, ‘It’s illegal.’ And I’m like, ‘We’re scientists,'” she remembers.

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Although direct cannabis research was off-limits, Macias pivoted to prostate cancer studies. She later joined Colgate-Palmolive as a scientist, but the desire to return to cannabis never left. When D.C. announced its medical dispensary licensing process in 2012, she immediately said, “I’m doing this.”

She drained her savings, stopped paying her mortgage and moved into a small apartment with her family to afford a lease. “I lost my house, but I believed in myself and the plant,” she says. Her initial landlord backed out, and it took years of advocacy to secure a location. During that time, Macias traveled to Africa to lead infectious disease research.

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In 2015, she returned to the U.S. after regulators warned her license would be revoked unless she opened within 60 days. With help from D.C. cultivator Corey Barnett, who sold her a single ounce of cannabis on credit, she opened National Holistic Healing Center with 13 patients and furniture from her apartment.

Her work expanded beyond D.C. In Louisiana, Southern University tapped Macias to rescue its struggling medical cannabis program. She raised over $2 million, launched the operation, and helped the HBCU become the first in the U.S. to grow and manufacture legal medical cannabis.

In 2020, she was crowned Queen Zulu during Mardi Gras, joining the ranks of cultural icons like Louis Armstrong. Initially met with resistance due to her cannabis ties, Macias chose not to hide her identity. “The community at first actively tried to remove me,” she says. “But the men of Zulu stood up for me. They said, ‘This is our Queen.'”

Her leadership extended into Women Grow, where she rose to CEO. Under her direction, the organization became a national force for education, mentorship and entrepreneurship.

In 2024, Macias co-created Hope, a product line tailored for children with autism, in partnership with advocate Erica Daniels. Hope generated over $1 million in its first year, offering relief to families seeking alternative treatments.

Women Grow’s 2025 Leadership Summit was set to mark another milestone, with WNBA star Brittney Griner scheduled to deliver a keynote. But on Feb. 17, Griner abruptly left the event after finding a disturbing message in her hotel room. Women Grow called it “an attack” and vowed to continue its work.

Also read: Germany’s Cannabis Industry Hits 500 Million Euros: 2,500 Pharmacies Now Dispense, 211 Grow Clubs Approved

“Attacking women for coming together to lead and create change will not stop us,” Macias said at the time. “We will not be silenced.”

Today, Macias continues to mentor operators, push for equitable legislation and warn about the risks of corporate consolidation. “Taxation will kill your business,” she notes. Rescheduling to Schedule III might bring benefits but could also allow Big Pharma to dominate.

For Macias, the mission is deeply personal. Her children grew up with cannabis as medicine. One son, living with Crohn’s disease, uses it for relief. Another now works alongside her.

“No means keep trying,” she says. “If I’m not out there sharing this message, they might not have a second chance at life.”

Disclosure: This article was originally published on Forbes and appears here with permission. It does not represent Benzinga’s reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.

Photo courtesy of Women Grow