Angela Pih isn’t just building cannabis brands—she’s building the playbook for how cannabis marketing should be done. With a career that spans global fashion, CPG, and now top-tier California cannabis brands like Papa & Barkley, CannaCraft, StateHouse, and CCELL, Angela has a rare, cross-industry lens that cuts through the noise.
In her High Touch episode, she outlined the kind of marketing that actually drives sales, builds customer loyalty, and creates long-term brand equity. If you’re a cannabis operator still hoping your dispensary partners will “do the selling,” this is your wake-up call.
Here’s what Angela taught us about building brands that move the needle.
1. Stop Hoping Dispensaries Will Sell for You
Angela couldn’t be clearer:
“Dispensaries are not going to sell your brands and your products for you. You’ve got to do it yourself.”
Operators often mistake shelf presence for market traction. But the reality is that dispensary staff are rotating constantly, sales floors are crowded, and even budtenders with the best intentions can’t carry your brand on their back.
To win, brands need to take ownership of every stage of the customer journey—from discovery to conversion to loyalty. That means planning out campaigns, educating staff, supporting sell-through with demos and activations, and making sure your product doesn’t just exist, but stands out.
2. Build Trust with Storytelling and Real Education
One of Angela’s key strengths is using storytelling to build brand trust. Her work with Papa & Barkley, for example, leaned on a heartfelt founder story that wasn’t just for media—it was built into the DNA of how the brand showed up in stores, in trainings, and online.
"when you have a true origin story that you feel ignites you you can tell over and over again and each time it doesn't feel like you're just telling a story, you're actually connecting with a potential consumer or a potential customer."
She pairs that storytelling with rigorous education, especially for budtenders. Her focus is on creating brand champions who understand why the product matters, and how to sell it with confidence.
And that education doesn’t stop with staff. Angela’s team has brought “Cannabis 101” seminars to senior communities, followed by buses to local dispensaries—transforming first-time curiosity into high-intent purchase behavior.
3. Design for Occasions, Not Just Effects
Many cannabis brands have made the leap from strain names to effect-based positioning (sleep, calm, focus). But Angela is already thinking one step ahead: occasions.
“We should be designing brands the same way fashion does—thinking about where and when someone is going to use the product.”
Instead of marketing a vape as “uplifting,” think of it as “your hike buddy.” Instead of branding a gummy as “relaxing,” position it as “your unwind ritual after spin class.”
Angela’s teams at CannaCraft and StateHouse developed entire campaigns around usage occasions—whether it was comedy nights, cycling races, concerts, or recovery after a marathon. These moments help customers see themselves using your product, and that’s what creates resonance—and repeat sales.
4. Full-Funnel Marketing Isn’t a Luxury—It’s a Necessity
“It’s about being channel-agnostic. I don’t care where the customer wants to buy—I just want to remove friction and create trust.”
From programmatic ads and SEO to earned media, out-of-home, search, and email, she builds integrated campaigns designed to work together. That’s how her Palm Desert “desert activation” moved hundreds of high-basket customers into dispensaries with real, measurable ROI.
This is the kind of work that turns a passive brand into a destination brand—and dispensaries notice.
5. Normalize, Don’t Just Differentiate
In looking ahead, Angela’s vision is simple: cannabis products that look like they belong in your home.
“I want brands that fit on your bathroom shelf or your kitchen counter. That’s how we destigmatize—not by shouting, but by fitting in.”
This stealth strategy—quietly integrating into everyday life—requires design that’s elevated, branding that’s thoughtful, and messaging that feels like it was made for the customer, not the trade show floor.
It’s not about chasing hype. It’s about building trust, earning loyalty, and staying high-touch in a brutal, ever-changing industry.
TL;DR – Angela’s Non-Negotiables for Cannabis Marketers
- Dispensaries are not your sales team. Own the full path to purchase.
- Build brand trust through storytelling, not just specs.
- Design for real-life occasions, not just effects.
- Layer your marketing across every touchpoint—from billboards to inboxes.
- Fit in first. Then stand out.
Angela Pih is the rare marketer who’s been at the helm of legacy brands and fast-growing cannabis startups. If you’re in the trenches trying to build something lasting, her episode of High Touch is required listening.
🎧 Listen to the full episode here
