The Hotbox with Dustin Hoxworth isn’t your polished PR interview. It’s me getting stoned and asking people the questions they probably aren’t ready for. These aren’t cold reads or copy-paste Q&As; I sit with my guests, usually multiple times, and I’ve likely met them in person, which gives me a window to learn who they really are before I ever send the questions. By the time the words hit the page, it’s smoke-thick honesty, not surface-level bullshit. These are cannabis conversations that showcase the voices, stories, and truths that won’t show up in the boardroom.
The Hotbox: Angela Pih
Angela Pih has been called a brand architect, a cultural alchemist, and a strategist with the kind of instincts you can’t fake. She proved it in fashion by breathing new life into HALSTON, relaunching Haute Hippie, and re-compassing Planet Blue for a new generation of consumers who demand more than just a label. Then she brought that mastery into cannabis, where she’s been an instrumental part of brands like Papa & Barkley, CannaCraft, StateHouse, CCELL and many others as she helped lead through the stormy waters of regulation, competition, and cultural stigma. Angela’s work has earned her multiple CLIOs and other Women’s leadership awards, but what really sets her apart is the way she builds brands that matter, connecting deeply with the people they serve.
Angela Pih is a powerhouse marketer and brand strategist whose career spans the luxury of fashion and the grit of cannabis. She’s proven that authentic storytelling and consumer connection cut across industries. Her work continues to shape the future of branding in cannabis as an advisor, keynote speaker, and educator. Angela is less about selling products and more about creating meaning, and that’s what makes her one of the most respected voices in the game.
The HotBox: 5 Questions with Angela Pih
1. You’ve brought legacy fashion brands back to life and steered cannabis companies through chaos. What connects those two worlds for you on a personal level?
The opportunity to work with passionate people who know their sh*t. My three things are; I build teams, I build brands and I do things that haven’t been done before. It’s impossible to achieve any of these things without passionate people like that.
2. In cannabis, regulations force marketers into tight corners. Coming from fashion, where creativity is boundless, how do you stay authentic and impactful when the rules are stacked against you?
Creativity and innovation are born from scarcity. You strike a chord in those who are most likely to resonate with who you are as a brand and keep reminding them why you mean something to them. This isn’t always about advertising. I always say, a brand is a promise. Keeping your promise to those who believe in you the most through consistency and reliability matters.
3. Papa & Barkley, CannaCraft, StateHouse, and others – you’ve seen a lot of cannabis from the inside. What’s one brutal lesson this industry taught you that fashion never could?
Ha, supply chain is your friend. If you want to launch anything, you better understand how the supply chain works.
4. You’ve accomplished a ton of things so far in your career and won awards to prove it. Which one of your accomplishments in either fashion or cannabis hits deepest for you, not on the résumé, but in your soul?
How the plant saves relationships. At Papa & Barkley, we heard stories every day about how transformative the power of cannabis impacted people’s lives. It is humbling to be amongst those who believe in phyto-therapy and find ways of introducing it to people. Family members, couples of all ages, and ailing friends have told us how these products help them have better relationships with their loved ones.
5. If you had to leave the next wave of cannabis brand leaders with one manifesto line, what would it say?
Progress and pragmatism over perfection. The road is long, windy, and filled with boulders. Progress. Taking steps every day is more effective than pursuing perfection.
Angela Pih isn’t just building brands, she’s shaping culture. From the runways of New York to the dispensaries of California, she’s shown that authenticity isn’t a trend, it’s the foundation. That’s why her work lasts, and why her voice is one this industry can’t afford to ignore.
