Branded Partner ContentIt’s no secret that there are a ton of California cannabis distributors saturating the market. But what makes one cannabis distributor better than the other? The best California cannabis distributors are the ones that have been a part of the cannabis industry long before it was legalized, who know the growers personally and who – most importantly – cares about their clients more than they care about money. Teds Budz is the cannabis distributor that listens to you, and is our favorite out of all the California cannabis distributors for all the reasons we mentioned and more.
Unlike a lot of the other flashy California cannabis distributors, Teds Budz is a grassroots distributor. Not in it to make a quick buck, Teds Budz has been through all the ups and downs of cannabis legalization and has the scars to prove it.
“The cannabis industry is saturated with trust fund kids who have no had to risk their lives in order to see this opportunity, the things I’ve done to get here have almost sent me to federal prison under indictments and some of my people who believed in me are doing time in federal prison as we speak and they depend on me,” shares Teds Budz founder and CEO, Theo Lewis. “Not just my situation but everyone who has done time and lost loved ones risking their lives to provide for their families , I’m a byproduct of the streets that went corporate but kept my name and reputation clean so I’m respected and loved by the real and I want anyone who came from where i came to be inspired and know that you can make it in the cannabis industry, one person helped me and that’s Daniel Sosa.”
Credit: Mike Chopra
The decision to become California’s lead distributor of craft cannabis flower was one made out of a desire to be a voice for the casualties of cannabis law, as well as a medium in which to amplify the BIPOC cannabis community. There is a disheartening lack of black-owned brands in the cannabis space, and Ted Budz is leading the charge among California cannabis distributors to change that. Teds Budz is a black-owned brand itself that empowers women and minorities by offering jobs and mentoring to the disenfranchised who want to work in cannabis but have not been able to find the opportunity to do so.
Credit: Mike Chopra
Teds Budz has been around since before the green rush flipped the cannabis industry on its head. Theo, the owner of Teds Budz, owned both a dispensary and an illegal grow prior to legalization. He knew he had to make an attempt to go legal because the lifestyle he was living at the time was going to lead him to jail, as it had to other BIPOC cannabis pioneers before him. It wasn’t easy, but Theo figured out a way to get a license under a social equity program.
“I got my license under Phase 2 – Pre-Existing Cannabis Business – since I owned a shop in 2015,” further explains Theo. “I didn’t find out about the social equity program until I was told about it. Once I showed the department my arrest record I was placed in priority registration with a fee deferral so it worked out perfect for me. I’ve been arrested for selling cannabis and after I found out how social equity opportunities were being stolen from the true grassroots entrepreneurs I attended town hall meetings, protests and audits for different rounds of social equity licensing.”
He was as determined to become legal and be allowed to sell. He knows he was one of the lucky ones, as so many others were equally as deserving but unable to find and follow the avenue the government laid out to do so. Theo hasn’t forgotten that, and has been reaching his hand out ever since to help pull others up to the top of the proverbial legal cannabis mountain. A member of the cannabis community first and the best of the California cannabis distributors second, Theo is one of the most dedicated advocates we’ve had the pleasure of knowing.
Credit: Mike Chopra
“I know real honest genetics came from the Bay. I tapped in six to seven years ago with various underground growers and bought seeds from solseeds.com from there I began breeding and cultivating myself,” Theo shares of his cannabis roots. “The Bay Area guided me into this game and taught me how to maneuver properly throughout the state, so I have the utmost respect for my guys from Eureka down to Monterey Bay and Santa Cruz. They are the culture.” And Theo is all about preserving and promoting that culture, bringing it to those that may not be able to travel there themselves.
Today, Theo has carefully hand-crafted Teds Budz to be one of the leading distribution companies in Los Angeles. At the top of the long list of California cannabis distributors, Teds Budz is committed to providing the highest quality exotic cannabis to everyone who needs it. Teds Budz has gotten their products on the shelves in some of the most reputable dispensaries in California – Cookies, Green Wolf, Calma and more. No stranger to the hustle, before starting Teds Budz, Theo used to drive all the way to Oakland from L.A. just to pick up the best OG NorCal flower that he enjoyed to smoke. Now decades into the cannabis lifestyle, he wants to bring that same delicious, exotic cannabis experience to consumers – saving them not only gas, but from bunk weed as well.
Credit: Mike Chopra
“The weed industry has become more mainstream, similar to the shoe game,” laments Theo. “But it’s been watered down; people grow what the consumer likes instead of growing new genetics to see if consumers like them. I wish the game was competitive again, I remember when people grew to create the next big strain rather than regurgitating different variations of the same thing.”
“People want the best of the best and we are the Michael Jordan sneakers of the cannabis industry,” he continues. Teds Budz is all about finding that next big strain to give the people what they didn’t know they needed and what they already want.
What does Teds Budz offer in terms of craft-cannabis distribution? Let’s go through the list:
Batch Pickup: Bi-weekly pickup of batches from your licensed manufacturing or distribution facilities.
Warehousing: Secure and environment-controlled storage at Teds Budz distribution facilities in Los Angeles.
Testing: Quarantine and BCC final compliance testing through a licensed laboratory.
Delivery: Lightning-fast delivery to licensed retailers within 36 hours of order placement.
Payment Collection: Collection and management of cash-on-delivery (COD) payments and net term payments.
Capital: Up front payment on invoices to improve your cash flow and grow your business faster.
What makes Teds Buds the best of all the California cannabis distributors? They have instant state-wide reach , distributing six brands to over 35 dispensaries throughout the state – many who cannabis enthusiasts would consider the most prestigious (read: best products) licensed retailers. Teds Budz also offers expert consulting, providing market insight and analytics based on the data their team amasses and analyzes through their sales. Using this unique and personalized data, the Teds Budz team can help you to accurately forecast volume, target new accounts and identify opportunities for product diversification. Perhaps most importantly, Teds Budz is celebrated for their phenomenal customer service. They take customer support seriously, helping you to generate repeat business, boost business reputation and overall provide a competitive market advantage to get you on the map of leading California cannabis companies. They believe that loyal customers provide positive endorsements and can be encouraged to leave good reviews, which not only helps strengthen your brand, but drown out shady competitors that are emboldened by fake claims.
Credit: Mike Chopra
Teds Budz is changing the game by preserving OG cannabis culture, which makes them, in our opinion, the best of all the California cannabis distributors.
Don’t just take it from us, listen to the man himself: “We have the best cannabis in the market hands down, between myself and the brands I carry we are the reigning champ when it comes to knocking out lungs.”
Learn more at tedsbudz.com
“Teds Budz is named after my grandfather Ted Morton Jr., this logo is of my grandfathers portrait to honor him,” Theo Lewis, founder and CEO of Teds Budz.”
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