Xzibit: It’s the Lasagna Ganja Podcast. I am Mr. X to the Z, Xzibit.

Tammy: And I’m your girl, Tammy, a.k.a. The Cannabis Cutie.

Xzibit: It is another exciting episode of the world’s best cannabis podcast.

We got Ted from Ted’s Budz. How are you today, sir?

Ted: I’m good, man. Thank you for having me.

Xzibit: For those who are not in the know, there are not many black owned cannabis brands.

When I met this young man, his product preceded our meeting. It was a shoe box that had product in it.

It spoke to the culture and how we speak to each other in the culture.

When I saw how intelligent this brother is with what he brings to marketing and branding, I was very impressed.

So give us some background on how Ted’s Budz started, what the philosophy was on the marketing and branding, and how you got into cannabis.

Ted: Ok, if we're going way back…Ted’s Budz started in 2014. I was going to Cal State.

It started out as a dispensary called Husker Boy Associates. I named it after my cousin who got killed and had Husker Boy on his arm.

Once legalization happened, we went full fledged with it.

Xzibit: What was the biggest observation going from the traditional market into the legal market, what are the pros and cons of that, and why did you decide to go legal?

Ted: I’m not the average weed dude. I went to school. I was always a scholar. But I’ve done some fucked up shit in my own life.

I thank God for taking me out of that situation and turning cannabis into something legal.

I’m very determined to keep my legal hustle. The name of the game is to stay out here, not be out here.

Xzibit: When did Ted’s Budz start and what was the environment like in the beginning?

Ted: Well 2018 is when Ted’s Budz started. I got licensed because I had a business prior to 2016. I had weed charges from high school. It threw me straight to the top of the list.

It was work. I had to do my own research on all the legal aspects.

When I first jumped in, I just wanted to grow. But my allergies are so bad now, I can’t grow.

Tammy: Ok, pause before we go any further. Why did your drug charges put you at the top of the list?

Ted: I’m social equity. I didn’t know shit about that in the beginning.

But I had weed charges from high school. If you live in a socially impacted drug area, that’ll place you in Tier 3.

If you are considered low income, you’re Tier 2. And if you have weed charges, that will put you in Tier 1. I hit all 3.

I had to read that shit myself. I did not have a compliance director. I did not have someone over my shoulder telling me that stuff.

I knew at the time that what I was doing was going to get me killed, so I put all my effort into legalizing.

I didn’t have a plan. I just knew I had to get legit, so that’s what the fuck I did.

The city of LA is fucked up because before you can get licensed, you have to have a building. You have to hold onto the building. You’re paying 20K in rent before even being licensed.

Tammy: And they’re not releasing any licenses.

Xzibit: Do you think the game, and the way it’s set up, is rigged?

Ted: Yes. It’s fucking rigged.

Just like when they did the retail rounds for social equity and they said it was easy and quick to get online and apply. But only the first 200 people to apply would get it.

And this is for social equity—what if you don’t have a good internet connection? What if these people don’t have the resources to be on a time crunch to submit an application?

Tammy: There was a big scandal around that because there were people who had the application ready to submit as soon as the time turned.

Ted: We went down to city hall and talked shit. We were getting up on the podium. It wasn’t fair.

If you got bread, it’s going to be a lot easier.

Tammy: So many people are just holding rent just to be able to apply.

Ted: Then the landlords hike up rent!

Tammy: As soon as the landlords know you’re growing flower, they hike it up.

Xzibit: Tell us a little about Ted’s Budz. What were some of the challenges to get into the market and what were some of the strategies you used?

Where is the monthly impact of what you’re moving?

Ted: You gotta be careful what you say!

Xzibit: I only ask to say this—people have to know it’s possible. It’s hard out here in California, but because you’re doing it right, people have a lot to learn.

And even the people who think they’re doing it right still don’t understand the hustle you put in behind it.

You don’t have to tell us numbers, but just give us an idea.

Ted: I’m up there with the best of them. If I was in a different demographic, I’d be praised and awarded.

I’m just going to keep working. I don’t even like to say I’m in competition because I’m in my own lane. I don’t think about other people at all.

We move about 500 to 600 units a month. It’s high end stuff. We sell at 30 dollars an eighth. That’s all I’m going to give you.

Xzibit: If you look at this marketing on your box. It’s a shoebox. It has the flavors’ QR code on the side. What is that?

Ted: The QR code will take you to our website and our socials. It’s identical to a shoe box. You can throw your shoes in there, your loose change, whatever.

Xzibit: Who’s on the box?

Ted: That’s my grandpa. Ted is my grandpa. I named it after him.

Xzibit: Do you think that when you personalize your business that it’s an emotional investment?

Ted: It makes you go that much harder. Shit isn’t called Pro Logistics, it’s Ted’s Budz. It’s possessive. When you look it up, there’s an apostrophe after that D.

It means that I’m not going to put a subpar product in a bag that says Ted’s Budz.

Xzibit: You open the box, you’ve got the Ted’s Budz bucket hat. We’ve got flavors. What are these?

Ted: Those are biker shorts.

Xzibit: Ok, won’t be wearing biker shorts!

Your merchandise is off the chain. My lady says your sweats are the best.

Who does the marketing for this? Who put together these ideas?

Ted: The ideas are a collaborative thing. I’ll think of something and draw it out.

I’ll give it to my tattoo artist, Brian. He’ll sketch it out, vectorize it, and send it over to my designer, Jackie. Then she brings it to life.

But everything starts from me.

Xzibit: You’ve got all kinds of strains. Donkey Milk. Peanut Butter Scotty. Big Squid. Everlasting Gumdrop. Zamby Fluid. Hella Jelly. Dragon Trash. Lords of the Skies.

And the packaging is very bright.

Ted: You’ve got to think about it. When you go into the shop, there are so many things. You have to catch someone’s eye. The colors matter.

A word of advice to other brands coming up is don’t do black bags. No one sees dark colored bags.

Tammy: Do you think people are purchasing based on what’s on the bag?

Ted: We have a cult following already. No matter the bag, if you buy our bag, there’s going to be some heat in it. We’re the most consistent.

I run this shit the same way I did before this shit was legal. I’m not playing any games. My shop didn’t succeed because all I carried was Cali Kush Farms.

I used to carry a lot of OGs and gas. I’m not going to sell what I don’t want to smoke.

Xzibit: I know Ted’s Budz is doing really well, but I know there’s more to it because you’re a musician, too.

Ted: It’s been about 2 years now since I first walked into the studio. It was some bullshit just to see what I could come up with.

They’re paying 10K for people to do a 10 second Instagram post. I will turn myself into a rapper for that.

Nothing in the world I feel like I can’t do. Just got to work for it.

So that’s why I’m a rapper now.

Xzibit: How did you go about that? And do you do music just to support what you do in cannabis?

Ted: Now it’s for creative expression, too. It’s either therapeutic or extremely frustrating.

At first I just wanted to do a mix tape with my cousin. Now it’s a passion of mine.

I just released a project called Ted Talk: Volume 1. It’s on all streaming platforms.

Xzibit: How did you get from Nebraska to LA?

Ted: My mom came here. She brought me and my sister. We always moved back and forth.

First time we came here, I was 6. I ended up staying in high school. Nebraska’s got resilient people.

I love my home town. I’ve been here—I love this place, too.

Xzibit: Are you the youngest in your family?

Ted: No. I have 2 sisters who are 7 years old. I’m really the only man in my little family.

Tammy: I ask every Puerto Rican their last name, just in case. I met a cousin of mine in LA last year.

Xzibit: We talk a lot on the show about hiring inward or outward. By inward, I mean the people that you know, like friends or family.

Ted: That’s a complicated issue.

Xzibit: It’s come back and bit me in the ass. I always end up the bad guy.

But, 9 times out of 10, it’s on them.

Ted: I understand what you’re saying. It’s tough to work with family and friends. They have a certain expectation or entitlement.

Being the big hearted person that I am, I have a lot of patience. But I’m realizing now that I can’t let the whole thing fail because I’m being nice.

But at the end of the day, my love for my family and friends never changes and they’ll respect me for what I’m doing.

Tammy: Does it put you in more uncomfortable positions than necessary? Given this is a complex industry?

Ted: I just don’t want to be a target. The world we live in, you have to think about that shit.

Xzibit: That’s crazy. Not everybody in the cannabis industry has to worry about that. Some people come here and just do business.

But we have to beware our environments because if we’re too successful, we become targets.

I’ve had one of my distribution centers kicked in before. That was an inside job. So everything is not what it seems.

There’s an element of danger in what we do.

Ted: There’s a huge element of danger.

Xzibit: But not for everybody.

Ted: If you work in this industry, you’ve got to think about robberies, deaths, stuff like that.

Xzibit: There was an incident that just happened. About 8 to 10 guys tried to break into a dispensary. Owner shows up and exchanges fire with them.

The owner is now under arrest for 4 counts of attempted murder. What do you think of that?

Ted: I think it’s bullshit. But I would’ve done the same shit.

Xzibit: The problem is that the police department is fully prosecuting the owner because they are saying he shouldn’t have opened fire when it was just a property crime.

They’re basically saying the guy should’ve let them steal the shit.

Tammy: I’d love to see the law. It’s weird that he didn’t get a self-defense pass if he had intruders.

Xzibit: He fired first, I think.

Ted: He came from a different location, to the warehouse, to confront the robbers. That’s where he fucked up. And he shot first.

I would’ve done the same shit. But I would’ve gone down there with a .357. I’m not leaving shit.

Tammy: Ok, but I put some of this on the California government. Why are you making cash-only businesses put their addresses online?

They’re open targets. They have to pay taxes in cash.

You make it easy for criminals to target these businesses. The system is flawed and it needs to be overhauled.

Ted: A lot of it is on the government. This shit is happening every night.

Xzibit: Damned if you do and damned if you don’t. You have to protect your investment. Where’s the happy medium?

Ted: Up North in the state is fucked up. The police aren’t even coming.

Hire 24 hour security. They get paid and can legally shoot at these motherfuckers.

Xzibit: I think that’s a wise investment. Insurance is hard to get on cannabis products.

When our warehouse got broken into, there was a 6 figure amount of product taken. Insurance refused to cover it.

I wish I could’ve stopped the robbers—but at what cost?

The popularity of Ted’s Budz is huge. Do you have any issue with people trying to imitate you?

Ted: No. It’s flattering when I see the fake bags downtown. I used to get offended, but now I see it as free marketing.

Xzibit: What’s your vision for the future of Ted’s Budz?

Ted: I want dispensaries. Let’s get this Federal and these retail locations poppin’.

Xzibit: I have a dispensary opening in LA. It’s called Xzibit’s West Coast Cannabis. I would like Ted’s Budz to have a kiosk in our store.

I like to take care of people that I see hustling and grinding.

Ted: We’d love to be there.

Xzibit: I can’t wait to bring this to you guys. How many stores are you in now?

Ted: About 550.

Xzibit: Nice! There’s about 900 legal stores in California. You’ve got half of them.

Look, dude, I really feel your brand is one we should be paying attention to.

Do you have any plans to go into other states?

Ted: Nope. California is always going to be it.

If I’m not there to quality control it, I don’t trust it. This is called Ted’s Budz. This means too much to me.

Xzibit: Do you consider Ted’s Budz boutique?

Ted: Yeah because that’s why it sells so well. People see the posts from all over the world and when they finally come into town, it’s the first thing they want to get.

Xzibit: How do they get in touch with you?

Ted: On Instagram, Twitter, Telegram. There are too many people getting scammed on Telegram. It’s TedsBudz LLC. That’s me. We don’t sell, we don’t ship.

Xzibit: Thank you for coming on the Lasagna Ganja Podcast.

It’s Mr. X to the Z, Xzibit.

Tammy: I’m your girl Tammy, a.k.a. The Cannabis Cutie.