Culture
Om Edibles, Whoopi & Maya Offer Employees ‘Moon Days’ for Period Pain
Two companies hope to set the tone for women’s rights in the cannabis industry.
If there was ever a company that authentically and continually promoted female empowerment in the cannabis space, it is Om Edibles. Headed by Maya Elisabeth, Om has been around since 2008, before Maya founded the edibles and topicals sister company Whoopi & Maya — backed by the star power of Whoopi Goldberg — in 2016. Om employs an almost all female-identifying staff and is now promoting a special perk of working with the company: a “moon day” or an unpaid day off for employees experiencing discomfort associated with their period.
“We as women in cannabis need to create the kind of space we need to work in,” Maya said of the policy she has had in place at her company since 2017. “If not us, then who?”
Both Om and Whoopi & Maya create award-winning products, such as bath salts, tinctures
The company is timing its announcement of its policy to support its staff through “moon days” with a global day dedicated to breaking taboos around menstruation. May 28 has been designated Menstrual Hygiene Day. Initiated by the German-based company WASH United in 2014, the purpose of the day is to create a discussion and offer education about the cost and accessibility of feminine hygiene products.
“In many societies, menstruation is surrounded by stigma and misinformation,” the organization states on its website. “Inadequate menstrual hygiene management directly affects women’s and girls’ self-esteem, health and education.”
Maya hopes her policy will inspire others in the space to offer similar benefits for their own employees.
“Working with cannabis, we’re doing a first time on a lot of things,” Maya said. “We’re taking the plant out of prohibition, so why don’t we also throw in a bunch of other cool things that are long overdue?”
TELL US, does your place of employment offer any special perks when it comes to time off?
