Being the Editor In Chief of Black Cannabis Magazine, Haze Palmer stands out as a leading pioneer in the cannabis industry. More commonly known as Hazey Taughtme or Haze, he jumpstarted the publication in 2019, becoming the first person of color to produce a magazine that solely focuses on the work and efforts of people of color within the cannabis industry. In addition to his work with Black Cannabis Magazine, he is the Chief Marketing Officer of the National Diversity and Inclusion Cannabis Alliance (NDICA). This non-profit organization specializes in the advocacy of equity, social justice, diversity and inclusion in the cannabis industry.
HazeyTaughtme’s History in the Cannabis Industry
Hazey’s laser-focus and commitment to diversity and inclusion in the cannabis industry began in 2017. His entry into the field began with a keen interest in pheno hunting, which involves identifying the best cannabis strains for mass production. He linked up with 805 Farmily while helping Freeway Rick Ross, who was a previous client, find the best strain for his production. Even though the projects were halted, he gained valuable experience in exploring various strains and CBD product lines.
At the beginning of 2018, Haze began to work closely with the founder of NDICA and producer of the popular box-office hit “Cradle to the Grave” Bonita Money. By shadowing Bonita and volunteering for NDICA, he began to intensively study the legal cannabis industry. Hazey “Haze” Taughtme began to quickly absorb the ins and outs of local ordinances in Los Angeles, as well as learning the specifics on expungement work, social equity, and licensing.
Hazey ventured out into media and communications by becoming a publicist in conjunction with continued work with his clients. His efforts quickly led to valuable interviews and exposure with prominent media platforms such as the BBC, Forbes, Vlad TV, Rick Smiley, Hot 97, HipHopDX, Drink Champs, HotNewHipHop, Dish Nation, Revolt TV, Sister’s Circle and Sway’s Universe. In addition, he secured a variety of public appearances on several major radio stations in established markets such as Florida, New York, Atlanta and Los Angeles.
Launching Black Cannabis Magazine
Haze began to identify a common trend in the cannabis industry where media only highlighted people of color during Black History Month or to fill certain coverage quotas. Moreover, an alarming amount of these reports on BIPOC people centered around individuals and groups who were arrested for possessing large amounts of marijuana. Hazey felt that there was a dire need for positive, inspirational, uplifting and beneficial stories focusing on people of color in the cannabis industry. As such, he launched Black Cannabis Magazine to fill help rewrite the common narrative.
HazeyTaughtme placed a great deal of his exposure efforts with Clubhouse, a social media app that launched in 2020. He saw that the app possessed a great deal of potential to connect with like-minded people in the cannabis field, and he quickly began engaging and spearheading valuable discussions on the topic. Haze hosted discussion rooms that focused on a full gamut of cannabis-related topics, including historical milestones, current events and other pivotal aspects of the cannabis industry.
Black Cannabis Magazine began to gather a dedicated following, becoming one of the most popular subjects on the app. With an audio-based format, Hazey was able to lead genuine and unfiltered conversations of the topic of cannabis, helping to provide a wide variety of perspectives on the matter. His efforts on the platform led to a very powerful collaboration with Shaggy Brown and Hawa, engaging and hosting dynamic discussions with top-level figures in cannabis culture and business. Interviews with prominent names such as Fab 5 Freedy, 710 Labs, Al Harrington, Mario Sherbinski Guzman and many others helped increase Hazey’s reach and influence in the cannabis industry.
As a result of his efforts, Hazey launched the first print edition of Black Cannabis Magazine on April 20th, 2021. Featuring Whoopi Goldberg on its cover, he hosted a red carpet event on the W Hollywood Rooftop to commemorate the print launch. The event included an open bar and cannabis consumption, which was another first in light of the Marriot’s traditional anti-cannabis policies. The event provided a great opportunity for guests to network with prominent figures such as Al Harringotn, Chris Ball, I Am Compton, Miguel Nunez, GJ Flex, Big Percy, and Whoopi Goldberg’s daughter Alex Martin and grandson Mason.
Partnership With MJbiz & Further Collaborations
As the success of Black Cannabis Magazine grew, Hazey decided to make an even greater impact in the cannabis industry. Equipped with 33 boxes of the printed publication, Haze traveled to Las Vegas to attend MJbiz in Ocotober 2021. He established a powerful connection and collaboration with Pam Moore, the Senior Vice President of Content for the event. By May 2022, Hazey secured a co-marketing agreement where he produced the first all-black panel at MJbiz.
In addition, he launched Diversity Village, a Metaverse that activated during MJBizCon in November 2022. Diversity Village featured eight panels and 33 panelists that focused on helping Black and Brown cannabis entrepreneurs to connect with one another and share their experience, knowledge and expertise in the field. Prominent names such as Xzibit, Red Man, Trick Trick, Karim Butler, and Luka Brazi of Dipset featured on the celebrity panel.
Hazey’s entrepreneurial connections within the cannabis industry would feature intensive work with the likes of Diddy, Soulja Boy, The Migos’ Offset, Wiz Khalifa, The Game, Revolt, DeLeon, Ciroc, THC Design, Maven, Blk Water, and many others. He officially became the Chief Marketing Officer for NDICA in October 2022, and placed a great focus giving back to people in need.
At the start of 2023, Hazey promoted two major events in Chicago that focused on helping individuals expunge their records and get back to a clean slate. The two events helped 499 people get their lives back on track, with the first happening on January 25th and the second on February 22nd. These events allow Hazey and NDICA to produce powerfully restorative impacts on communities and neighborhoods that suffered due to the War on Drugs, along with furthering the efforts of inclusion, equity and social justice in the cannabis industry.
Hazey “Haze” Taughtme stands as an example and inspiration for people of color who aspire to work in the cannabis industry. Moreover, his focus on equity and social justice has helped BIPOC people find greater opportunities to create wealth and community restoration. He works to not only continue to make great impacts in the cannabis industry, but to also inspire others to make their own powerful mark on the cannabis industry.
If you’re interested in staying up-to-date with the latest news and updates in the cannabis industry, be sure to follow @hazeytaughtme and @blackcannabismagazine on social media and subscribe to their newsletters. You can also visit their website, www.blackcannabismagazine.com, to learn more about cannabis culture, business, and advocacy. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to stay informed and engaged with the growing cannabis community.
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