Meet Patty Roe | Co-Founder and CEO of Pink Haze

We had the good fortune of connecting with Patty Roe and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Patty, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I entered the cannabis industry in 2016 when I started the licensing process with the City of San Diego for a dispensary. During that time, I started a delivery service to get ahead on marketing for the upcoming dispensary. After nine months, the approval for the license was unfavorable and new regulations forced us to close the delivery. What I learned as a delivery owner was that no flower products targeting women existed. Flower, the term used for dried and loose cannabis, was my choice of consumption and so many women had few options beyond masculine or stoner-branded products. We started a cannabis brand that focused on women to support them to enjoy life and live beyond the stigma. We created Pink Haze a luxury cannabis lifestyle brand for women that celebrates femininity and luxury. As we worked to launch the product, we gathered ten cannabis-friendly strangers on Instagram, we welcomed them into my home one afternoon to provide cannabis, lunch, and networking. We took candid photos of women enjoying themselves, each other, and cannabis. All of a sudden, our direct messages on Instagram started to fill up with women asking to participate in our gatherings. Soon this organic community outgrew my home and became a more formalized social club for women called Pink Sesh Society. Today, Pink Sesh is a national membership organization with chapter development in several cities.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Pink Haze is one of the very few flower brands for women in the market today and may be the only premium cannabis product for women. We coveted a cultivation pioneer in Arizona, Nevada, and California, Clade9. Clade9 offers the highest quality flower and top genetics in the market creating a product that moves beyond beautiful packaging. However, Pink Haze’s most unique feature among any other product in the cannabis market, is the influence of Pink Sesh Society. What began as a casual monthly gathering of a diverse group of Southern California women celebrating cannabis, rapidly became an important part of these women’s lives. The group grew and formalized into a membership organization that now boasts over 100,000 organic social media followers and a national following. Pink Haze brings women together in a judgment free sisterhood that celebrates women and supports them with regular gatherings organized by Pink Sesh Society, or in partnership with other cannabis communities. The unique relationship between Pink Sesh and Pink Haze plays an important role in Pink Haze’s popularity within the cannabis market, particularly the female segment. It’s a special relationship and has become a special organization and as far as we know, the only cannabis brand with a genuine community that moves beyond an email list. All start-up journeys have their ups and downs and Pink Haze is no different. There have been challenges along the way. We’ve spent time, money, and energy on unworthy people along the way. We spent almost a full year on another brand in hopes of bringing Pink Haze products to market with this partner, but it blew up when our partners couldn’t get along. We became collateral damage and lost a year of progress, not to mention the amount of time and money we spent developing the brand partner who would never pay us a penny. I knew when I entered this infant industry of cannabis that perseverance would be the only way to find success and the past four years have demonstrated it. I have tripped plenty along the way since I have never started a consumer-packaged goods product or company in any industry, let alone this brand new industry with constantly changing regulations. But every time I get knocked down, I learn from the lesson and continue forward. I started this venture to build a company which has been a dream of mine for a long time but my motivation changed. Now every move I make is with the women of the Pink Sesh community in mind. These women are my why and consideration with every decision. These women turn a simple luxury cannabis lifestyle brand into something more meaningful: a sisterhood.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
A perfect week in San Diego would start with a morning stroll by the seals and cliffs of the La Jolla Children’s Pool and breakfast at Cove House on the shore or Coffee Cup Cafe, a tiny restaurant tucked in the village. Followed by a coastal and a trip to Coronado Beach for the day where we will see the Hotel Del Coronado and grab lunch and ice cream. After a long day, we will stop by Siesel’s Meats in Bay Park and pick up bourbon sausage, bourbon tri-tip, or some beautiful prime steaks to grill at home. Some of our favorite beaches for daytime fun include La Jolla Shores, Del Mar, Coronado and Law Street beach in Pacific Beach. Given the right weather, in a week, we may visit all of them. Some fun daytime activities besides the beaches are the Wild Animal Park, bike rides on the Pacific Beach boardwalk. Little Italy, La Jolla, or Ocean Beach farmers markets are also great and hiking in Torrey Pines State Park for guests who need a bucket list check, visit a local dispensary, or a Padres game. For happy hour cocktails, we enjoy Born and Raised (designed by Paul Basile, a longtime friend from Michigan). Wonderland in OB has one of the best sunsets and people watching. We would also stop by the UTC mall at some point to visit Raised by Wolves, another speak-easy designed by Paul Basile. Luce Bar and Kitchen is another frequent stop for lunch, dinner and/or cocktails. Great food and drinks and you can’t beat the family-owned friendly service. Some evening activities include La Jolla Comedy Store for a stand-up show, a stroll around the Liberty Station, Little Italy for dessert, and an after-dinner drink at La Valencia on a Friday evening to see Roman Palacios, one of San Diego’s best kept secrets – an awesome performer that takes you back to Sinatra times.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
After losing the dispensary license with the city, a woman who worked with me at the delivery showed up to my house everyday to help create something out of a URL I had bought, pinkhaze.com. Summer Edwards, my co-founder, inspired me to continue down the path of serving women in cannabis. Summer’s encouragement, persistence, and dedication to Pink Haze and myself was something I learned from and wanted to share with other women. I am forever grateful for Summer’s role in Pink Haze and Pink Sesh. She has not only inspired me to go for my dreams, she has also inspired a whole community of women to go for their dreams even when they seem out of reach.

Website: pinkhaze.com pinksesh.com

Instagram: @thepinkhaze @thepinksesh

Linkedin: @pattyroe

Facebook: @pinksesh

Other: TikTok @pinksesh

Image Credits
Summer Edwards, Co-Founder Pink Haze