Ericka Padilla-Toro, Founder of GG’s Garden – Interview Series

As cannabis becomes increasingly normalized and products evolve into a wider variety of formats, dedicated platforms, events, and organizations are essential for educating the public on its many possibilities. Comprehensive cannabis education not only deconstructs the lingering stigma surrounding consumers and industry professionals but also empowers consumers to make informed decisions at the dispensary counter.

To explore the critical role of education and advocacy for consumers and professionals alike—and to discuss how dispensaries can improve accessibility for the visually impaired—MyCannabis.com spoke with Ericka Padillo-Toro, Founder of GG’s Garden.

How would you say your studies at SUNY New Paltz give you an advantage throughout the multiple industries you’ve worked in?

My studies at SUNY New Paltz provided me with a foundation that extends far beyond any single industry. I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a minor in Psychology, which taught me how to understand people, communities, systems, and behavior.

Whether I was working in customer service, event management, cannabis education, marketing, entrepreneurship, or consulting, I found myself relying on those same skills. Sociology helped me understand how people interact with institutions, cultures, and one another, while psychology gave me insight into decision-making, communication, and consumer behavior.

My education also prepared me to navigate the cannabis industry from multiple angles, including education, marketing, event production, community engagement, and consulting. Today, those lessons influence everything I do with GG’s Garden. They help me create educational experiences that meet people where they are, communicate complex information in accessible ways, and build meaningful community connections.

As a legally blind entrepreneur, I’ve learned that understanding people is often just as important as understanding business. My education taught me that people are at the center of every industry, and that perspective has been one of my greatest advantages throughout my career.

What inspired you to create GG’s Garden? How did you hope that the brand could serve as a pinnacle of wellness and health?

GG’s Garden was born from a very personal journey. Before I entered the legal cannabis industry, I was simply a consumer trying to navigate life and make ends meet. At one point, selling cannabis became a way to survive, but over time I developed a genuine passion for the plant, its culture, and its potential to improve people’s lives. What started as survival eventually became purpose.

When legalization began creating opportunities in New Jersey, I saw a chance to turn that passion into something legitimate and lasting, something I could build for myself, my family, and my community. I immersed myself in education, earning certifications, attending programs, networking, and learning every aspect of the industry I could. What was originally known as Ganja Goddess eventually evolved into GG’s Garden, a brand that could exist within the legal market while staying true to my roots.

At the time, I was not entirely sure where I fit into the industry, but I knew education was needed. So I started there. I focused on learning, working within the industry, creating resources, and helping others better understand the plant. Over time, GG’s Garden grew into an educational and wellness-focused company that provides consumer education, experiential learning, consulting, and strategic support for cannabis brands entering and growing within the New York and New Jersey markets.

As a legally blind entrepreneur, I have had to navigate unique challenges throughout my career. That experience has shaped how I approach education and accessibility. My goal has always been to help people build a healthier and more informed relationship with cannabis through knowledge, self-discovery, and community. I wanted GG’s Garden to be a trusted space where people could learn without judgment, ask questions freely, and feel empowered to make informed decisions about their wellness journey.

What went into the creation of GG’s Garden’s Cannabis Strain Journal? How were the many possible experiences that cannabis could provide and its many product formats considered when creating the journal?

The Cannabis Strain Journal actually started as an experiment I conducted on myself. Although I had been consuming cannabis for over 15 years, I realized that I wasn’t consuming intentionally. Like many people, I knew what I liked and what I didn’t, but I couldn’t always explain why. So I challenged myself to spend an entire year approaching cannabis differently.

During that year, I carefully documented what I consumed, how much I consumed, the flavors and aromas I noticed, how different products affected me, and how factors like mood, environment, and timing influenced my experience. The goal was to truly understand the plant beyond simply consuming it. That experiment completely changed my relationship with cannabis.

I began recognizing terpene profiles, understanding how different cannabinoids impacted my experience, identifying products that aligned with specific goals, and developing a much deeper appreciation for the complexity of the plant. It helped me consume with intention rather than habit.

Once I experienced how transformative that process was, I wanted to create a tool that would allow others to have the same experience. Because cannabis affects everyone differently, I designed the journal to accommodate a wide range of products, consumption methods, and personal experiences. Consumers can track everything from flower and concentrates to edibles and beverages while documenting cannabinoid content, terpene profiles, dosage, onset time, effects, and personal observations.

The goal was never to tell people what they should experience. It was to help them discover what works best for them and create a deeper understanding of their own relationship with the plant.

How do you envision the Cannabis Strain Journal providing curious consumers with a better understanding of cannabis products? How is it designed with all levels of cannabis consumption experience in mind?

The journal serves as both an educational tool and a personal wellness resource. For beginners, it introduces important concepts such as cannabinoids, terpenes, dosage, and consumption methods in a way that feels approachable rather than overwhelming. For experienced consumers, it provides a structured framework for identifying trends and refining their experiences over time.

One of the biggest misconceptions about cannabis is that products can be categorized simply as “good” or “bad.” In reality, understanding cannabis requires understanding yourself. The journal encourages consumers to become active participants in that learning process.

I intentionally designed it to be useful regardless of someone’s experience level. Whether it’s someone’s first product or their hundredth, the journal creates a space for observation, reflection, and education. My hope is that consumers leave with a greater understanding of both the plant and themselves.

What are some notable or otherwise exciting cannabis-centric events that you’ve helped plan and execute? What were the reviews of those events?

Some of the most meaningful events I have helped create combine education, community engagement, and hands-on experiences.

One example is The Plant & You, an educational program designed to help consumers and industry professionals better understand cannabinoids, terpenes, the endocannabinoid system, and how cannabis interacts with the body. The program was created to make cannabis science approachable and relatable for people at all levels of experience. Participants consistently told us they appreciated having complex topics explained in a practical and accessible way that helped them feel more confident making purchasing and consumption decisions.

Another event I am particularly proud of is my Guided Cannabis Tasting Experience. Similar to a wine tasting, participants are guided through a structured sensory exploration focused on aroma, flavor, terpene profiles, and overall product experience. The goal is to help consumers slow down, engage their senses, and better understand how different terpene profiles can influence their experience with cannabis. Many attendees have shared that it completely changed the way they think about selecting products and helped them become more intentional consumers.

Beyond cannabis education, one of the initiatives closest to my heart is GG’s Garden’s annual Toy Drive, which recently completed its third year. What started as a small community effort has grown into a multi-location donation drive that brings together businesses, consumers, and community members to support local families during the holiday season. It is a reminder that cannabis businesses can and should play an active role in supporting their communities.

The feedback across all of these events has been incredibly positive. People often tell me they appreciate having educational experiences that feel welcoming, interactive, and free of judgment. Whether someone is new to cannabis or has years of experience, my goal is always to leave them feeling more informed, empowered, and connected than when they arrived.

How did Rutgers University’s Cannabis Business and Law Program provide you with a greater understanding of the many intricacies of the New Jersey cannabis industry? What were the most universally useful lessons in the program and how did you apply those lessons to your roles in the industry?

The Rutgers Cannabis Business and Law Program gave me a much deeper understanding of the regulatory framework that supports New Jersey’s cannabis industry.

One of the most valuable lessons was learning how compliance, policy, and business operations intersect. It’s easy to focus on products and brands, but sustainable success in cannabis requires a strong understanding of regulations, licensing, inventory management, consumer protections, and operational compliance.

The program also reinforced the importance of social equity and responsible industry development. Understanding the history of cannabis prohibition and its lasting impacts helps industry professionals make more informed and ethical decisions moving forward.

I’ve applied those lessons in nearly every role I’ve held, from retail operations and marketing to education, consulting, and event planning. The program helped me understand not only how the industry functions today, but also where opportunities exist for responsible growth and innovation in the future.

How does the Minority Cannabis Academy effectively represent and provide opportunities for minority-owned businesses in the cannabis space?

The Minority Cannabis Academy plays a critical role in creating access, education, and opportunities for communities that have historically been underrepresented in the cannabis industry.

The academy provides much more than cannabis education. It helps people develop practical skills, build professional networks, gain industry experience, and explore pathways into entrepreneurship. Through workforce development programs, mentorship, community engagement, and business education, MCA helps create opportunities that may not otherwise be accessible.

As someone who benefited directly from the academy’s programs, I can say it played a significant role in my professional development. The relationships, education, and opportunities I gained helped me grow from someone passionate about the plant into someone building a business around education, community engagement, consulting, and advocacy.

Today, through GG’s Garden, I have had the opportunity to work with multiple brands entering and expanding within both the New York and New Jersey cannabis markets. Whether through education, marketing support, event activations, or consumer engagement strategies, I have seen firsthand how access to resources and mentorship can help businesses grow and succeed.

That experience reflects exactly what organizations like MCA strive to create: pathways for individuals and minority-owned businesses to not only enter the industry but also build sustainable careers and companies within it.

As someone who lives with a visual impairment, what are some ways that dispensaries can be designed to be more accessible for those with visual impairments?

Accessibility should be considered from the moment a customer enters a dispensary. As a legally blind consumer and industry professional, I believe there are many opportunities to make dispensaries more inclusive. Some improvements can be relatively simple, such as larger font sizes, high-contrast signage, improved lighting, accessible menus, and product information that can be accessed digitally through screen readers.

Staff training is equally important. Employees should understand that not all disabilities are visible and should be prepared to provide assistance respectfully when requested.

I would also love to see more accessible packaging standards, including larger print, tactile markers, QR codes linked to audio information, and more consistent labeling practices.

Accessibility benefits everyone. When businesses design with inclusion in mind, they create a better customer experience for all consumers. As the industry continues to evolve, I hope accessibility becomes a standard part of the conversation rather than an afterthought.

What are some exciting future plans for yourself and predictions you have about what the next few years hold for the New Jersey cannabis industry?

Over the next few years, my focus is on continuing to expand GG’s Garden as an educational, experiential, and consulting company within the cannabis industry.

I am excited to grow our educational programming, host more community-centered events, and continue developing experiences centered around our terpene bar activations. What started as a simple educational tool has evolved into one of GG’s Garden’s signature offerings, creating opportunities for consumers to engage with cannabis through sensory learning and hands-on experiences. I see tremendous potential for expanding these activations into larger educational experiences, guided tastings, corporate trainings, dispensary partnerships, and wellness-focused events.

I am also currently pursuing my Ganjier certification, which is often compared to becoming a sommelier in the cannabis industry. As a legally blind woman, pursuing a certification centered around sensory analysis is especially meaningful to me. It reflects my belief that education and understanding are some of the most powerful tools we can offer consumers. I look forward to bringing that expertise into future programming, consulting work, and educational experiences through GG’s Garden.

Looking at the industry as a whole, I believe New Jersey is entering a period of maturation. The first phase of legalization focused on building infrastructure and opening dispensaries. The next phase will be driven by consumer education, brand differentiation, accessibility, and experience.

Consumers are becoming more informed and more intentional about their purchasing decisions. They want to understand why products affect them differently, how terpenes influence their experience, and how to find products that align with their individual goals. I believe we will see significantly more demand for education, guided experiences, sensory-based learning, and personalized recommendations.

I also believe the industry will continue moving toward stronger community engagement and more authentic brand building. The companies that succeed will be the ones that prioritize transparency, education, accessibility, and genuine relationships with consumers.

As someone who entered the legal industry through education and continues to build within that space, I am excited to help shape what that future looks like. My hope is that New Jersey becomes a model for how cannabis businesses can successfully balance innovation, education, accessibility, and community impact.

Thank you for joining us, Ericka! For more information on GG’s Garden, please visit its website.