Women's Way, Generation Labels and Not Real 🔖

Looking to jump into the cannabis investment game? Well, hold your horses before you hear about this startup with a sketchy twist.

The pitch for WeedGenics sounds tempting, boasting about being 100% vertically integrated—handling everything from cultivation to distribution in-house. Plus, they're all about that "massive expansion" and have a brand-new 150,000-square-foot facility in the works. And they claim to keep spending super low while raking in huge profits. 

Well, here's the plot twist: Turns out, according to the feds, WeedGenics was nothing more than a Ponzi scheme. Ouch.

The SEC came in and shut them down, revealing that there was no real company, no actual product, and no legitimate business going on.

But here's the kicker—these folks managed to accumulate a staggering $61.7 million from investors. And what did they do with that money? Splurged on houses, fancy dinners, bling, and even some adult entertainment. One of the owners used $7.9 million of investor cash to fuel his alter ego, BigRigBaby, the rapper.

To make matters even more convoluted, the defendants used aliases to play a dizzying shell game with the money, transferring it back and forth until it landed safely in their personal accounts.

But how can one even tell if a company is a scam? In this case, WeedGenics even had a seemingly legit website. 

Identifying fraud isn't always a piece of cake, but checking licensing and permitting requirements (especially for cannabis businesses) is a good place to start. Unfortunately, WeedGenics failed to meet those requirements, giving us a clear warning sign.

In a recent survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Board, a record number of Americans expressed feeling worse off financially compared to the previous year. 

The report on the "Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households" revealed that 35% of adults reported a decline in their financial situation in 2022, marking the highest percentage since the survey began asking this question in 2014.

Only 73% of adults stated that they were doing "at least okay" financially, a 5-point drop from the previous year and one of the lowest levels observed since 2016.

Reasons: Inflation and stock market fluctuations.

Increased prices in the United States had a substantial impact on people's budgets. This was especially true for Black adults, Hispanic adults, parents with children under 18, and individuals with disabilities.

There are several reasons: Economic necessity caused by inflation could be a driving factor. Plus, the labor market is still looking favorable, and then there’s the rise of flexible work options post-pandemic.

Speaking of which, working moms are also making incredible strides. Now, 71.6% of women with children under 18 are participating in the US labor force, which is a significant increase from the figures we had back in February 2020. It's fantastic to see more mothers feeling empowered to balance their home and work responsibilities.

Let's celebrate the progress and keep pushing for even greater inclusion!

The popular notion of categorizing people into generations “monikers”, such as Generation Z or Millennials, is gradually losing its relevance. The Pew Research Center recently announced its decision to no longer report on generations as it has done before.

Why? Because the problems with these labels are becoming quite apparent. 

For one, many people have long criticized the oversimplification of diverse individuals into a handful of age groups with assumed similarities. 

Sociologist Philip N. Cohen has long argued that these generational identifiers lack any meaning. Differences in approaches to life may be better attributed to place of birth, family history and education, rather than just birth years. Critics say these labels are mostly used to sell stuff like cozy blankets, fancy water, or electric cars instead of helping us understand ourselves or society.

In short, these categories are simply not real.

Millennials, the most talked-about generation so far, are stuck in a narrative that's been pushed through superficial articles and jacket ads. 

So maybe it’s time to shake off this fabricated image? 

Especially so that Generation Beta — the kids born after 2025 — have a chance to grow up without being trapped in these restrictive categories.