Zoe Wilder, Cannabis Empressaria and Award-Winning Publicist — Interview Series

In an industry as young and rapidly growing as cannabis, generating publicity and media attention is imperative for plant-touching businesses and ancillary companies alike. Fortunately, there are accomplished publicists—veterans of various other sectors—available to help these brands perfect their media strategies and expand their networks. One such expert is Zoe Wilder, who, in addition to her PR work, is a founding member of the psychedelic news publication DoubleBlind Magazine and serves as an ambassador for Last Prisoner Project.

To gain deeper insight into her work with some of the biggest names in cannabis and the nuances of building brand awareness in this unique market, mycannabis.com had the pleasure of speaking with Wilder herself.

What originally interested you about obtaining your Master’s in Social Work from Fordham? What were the most meaningful or otherwise impactful courses you took during your studies?

I’ve always wanted to change the world, and I’ve always wanted to help people. While working at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) — a leading lung health organization that publishes peer-reviewed medical journals, including some of the first favorable research on cannabis and lung health — I pursued my MSW at Fordham. I wanted to understand the systems that were supposed to be serving people but were so often letting them down, and to gain the foundation to effect real change.

The most transformative coursework was in harm reduction approaches for substance use. That’s where everything came into focus. I became deeply disillusioned by the way our Western society tends to pathologize and overprescribe — personality traits, natural phases and cycles in our lives, you name it — without ever looking at us holistically. 

I also had the opportunity to counsel and empower individuals from marginalized communities, build social programs for children, teens, and adults on the Autism Spectrum, and teach teens about pressing social and cultural issues. Those experiences enriched my understanding of how interconnected wellness, justice, and community truly are. Watching patients suffer, cycling through the same patterns, trapped in the same routines — I was moved to dedicate my life to finding alternative ways for all of us to thrive.

What were the first roles you held in the fields of PR/marketing, and what were the most valuable lessons you learned during the first years of your career?

After earning my BA in English Literature from the College of William & Mary, I went straight to New York and spent a decade at the ATS in Manhattan supporting the Managing Editor and Director of Communications. It was rigorous, detail-oriented work — internal communications with some of the most revered physicians and researchers in the world and press relations for a major medical nonprofit — and it gave me an incredible foundation in how to craft messaging around complex, high-stakes subject matter.

But I’ve always had this creative restlessness. My parents are artists, so that energy is in my heart and soul. Outside of my day job, I was turning my Brooklyn loft into a performance space, choreographing pieces for underground raves, reading poetry at events around the city, shadow dancing alongside my favorite DJs and bands, running street teams for indie acts, interviewing artists for music magazines, and producing weekly dance parties.

I was following what excited me, and every single one of those experiences sharpened my instincts. I ended up promoting one of my favorite bands on the Howard Stern Show (which was such a success, the views knocked their website offline for a little while), booking performances for special events at some of the most distinguished venues like The Whitney Museum and Ace Hotels, and securing partnerships with brands like American Apparel, Societe Perrier, Converse, and Brooklyn Industries. The biggest lesson I learned from that era is that passion is a skill set. When you genuinely care about the people and projects you represent, the results follow.

Outside of cannabis clients, what have been some big industries you’ve worked with? How did the PR needs of those clients change depending on what industry they mainly work in?

My career spans tech, entertainment, music, film, television, consumer brands, wine and spirits, podcasting, book publishing, and some of the most respected peer-reviewed medical journals in the world. Our roster includes A-list talent, bestselling authors, and award-winning productions. 

We’ve facilitated and supported client collaborations across networks likeamong many others

Every industry has its own rhythm. Medical and scientific communications demand precision and credibility above all else — you’re translating research that affects real lives. Entertainment moves fast and thrives on cultural timing — you need to know exactly when and how to create a moment. Consumer brands are about building emotional resonance with audiences who are bombarded with noise. But the throughline is always the same — be authentic, respect the audience, and make it matter.

When did you first begin working with cannabis brands/companies? Did you initially have any professional hesitation about working with cannabis brands?

There was never a moment of hesitation, it was more like a homecoming. Cannabis has been part of my worldview since childhood. Growing up in Atlanta, I watched my mom infuse the plant into her daily life without apology or secrecy, and that shaped how I understood it from the start. While other kids were soaking up D.A.R.E. propaganda, I was tearing those posters off the hallway walls in my elementary school and throwing them in the trash because I knew they were lies. I actually kept one and hung it in my college dorm room — the artwork was trippy enough to fit my décor, which felt like a small act of reclamation.

By the time I started taking on cannabis clients, I’d already spent years attending rallies, studying counterculture movements in college, immersing myself in the emerging research during my time at the ATS, and contributing media about the plant for various publications including High Times. 

How have the PR needs and services that cannabis brands require changed over the years since cannabis first became recreationally legal? Do different clients have differing needs depending on which state market they’re in?

When I first started working in cannabis, the PR needs were pretty foundational — destigmatization, education, and simply getting mainstream media to take the industry seriously. A lot of the early work was about legitimizing the space, helping journalists and the public understand cannabis science and terminology — and that these were real businesses run by serious people, many of whom have risked their lives to provide access to this medicine.

As legalization expanded state by state, the needs became more dynamic. Yes, brands were looking for coverage, but they also needed strategic communications that could navigate a patchwork of regulations, shifting public perception, and an increasingly crowded market. Every state has its own rules, its own culture, its own media landscape. 

The brands that are resonating most right now are the ones with a real story to tell. Sometimes that’s a founder with a remarkable origin story, the why behind the brand — which cuts through in a way that polished corporate messaging simply doesn’t. Sometimes it’s an iconic brand committed to something bigger — social reform, safe access, sustainability — where the mission is the story. Either way, helping people and brands articulate that story in a way that’s honest and compelling is where I thrive.

The biggest shift I’ve seen is that cannabis PR is no longer about convincing people the plant is legitimate. It’s about positioning brands within culture — wellness, lifestyle, music, food, fashion. The conversation has moved well beyond education, and the brands that understand that are the ones breaking through.

While it may seem like different fields on paper, how does your Master’s in Social Work give you a better understanding of criminal injustice or otherwise philanthropically involved cannabis brands?

They’re the same conversation. My clinical training taught me how systems actually work, where the pressure points are, and how to move within them to create change. Social work is fundamentally about understanding power structures — who holds it, who doesn’t, how policy decisions ripple through communities for generations, and where strategic intervention can actually shift outcomes.

When I work with brands and organizations focused on restorative justice, I’m helping them frame it in ways that move legislators, shift public opinion, and influence where capital flows. That requires understanding stakeholders, coalition-building, and knowing how narratives translate into policy. 

My training also taught me to see the human being inside the system along with the strategic frameworks to push these systems forward. My PR work gives me the platform to make that push more profound. 

The story of cannabis is inseparable from the story of justice. 

What have been some of the best recognition and accolades you’ve received for your PR work?

Being named “Cannabis Empressaria” by Forbes, one of the most distinguished publications in the world, is a symbol of how far we’ve come. The paradigm is shifting, and I’m grateful to play a role. The Entrepreneur Magazine “35 Most Influential Women in Cannabis” recognition was meaningful because it placed me alongside women I deeply admire. Early on in 2018, High Times naming me to their 100 Women in High Places felt like a signal that the work was resonating within the culture. That same year, Snoop Dogg’s Merry Jane put me on their Power Player List, which — I mean, come on, that’s Snoop. That one definitely made me smile.

More recently, the 2024 Green Market Report Award for Public Relations and being recognized as a PR Powerhouse by Cannabis & Tech Today felt like validation of the work my team puts in day after day. Taking first place for Pot Personality of the Year from Hearst Media’s GreenState last summer was a proud moment, and being chosen as a 2025 Grass Ceiling Honoree by Hearst’s Cann Studio was special.

But the accolades that resonate the most are the quieter ones — when a client sends a handwritten note expressing we changed the trajectory of their brand, or when a founder shares they finally feel like someone understands their vision. 

The recognition is lovely. Watching my clients succeed is everything.

What does serving as an Ambassador for Last Prisoner Project usually entail? How has working with such an impactful organization provided you with a greater understanding and appreciation for cannabis advocacy?

Imagine sitting in a cell for years — decades, even life — for something that’s now legal in most states, while other people build generational wealth doing the exact same thing. That’s the reality for tens of thousands of people right now. That’s why Last Prisoner Project (LPP) exists.

My role is about keeping LPP’s mission visible — connecting the organization with opportunities, amplifying their campaigns through my channels, and bringing new allies into the fold. We’re fortunate to have incredible ambassadors — people like Carmelo Anthony, JoJo Simmons, Jim Belushi, Melissa Etheridge, Montel Williams, B Real, Fab 5 Freddy — but awareness is an ongoing battle. Every day that someone remains incarcerated for something that’s legal in most states is a day too many.

Working alongside founders Steve and Andrew DeAngelo has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my career. What they’ve dedicated to this movement — decades of advocacy, personal sacrifice, and an unwavering commitment to justice — is extraordinary, and it pushes everyone around them to show up bigger.

What LPP has reinforced for me is that cannabis advocacy without a justice component is incomplete. You can’t celebrate the growth of this market while ignoring the people whose lives were destroyed by the same plant that’s now generating billions in revenue. That contradiction is the moral center of this entire movement. 

At its core, this is about something even more fundamental than policy — it’s about respecting people’s inherent right to engage with the natural world. Cannabis is a plant. The fact that we ever criminalized a relationship between human beings and nature says everything about where we went wrong. 

What were the defining moments that led to the creation of DoubleBlind Magazine? How did you feel the subjects surrounding psychedelics were being incorrectly covered from a journalistic standpoint?

Madison Margolin and Shelby Hartman brought me on as part of the founding team to handle business development, marketing strategy, and media relations. From the very first conversation, the conviction was mutual — psychedelics deserved better than what mainstream media was offering. The coverage was either sensationalized or rooted in decades-old prohibition narratives. There was almost no space for the kind of rigorous, compassionate, culturally aware journalism these substances deserve.

We aimed to build something that honored the full picture — the science, the ceremony, the history, the healing, the art, the community. What started as a shared conviction has become one of the most widely read psychedelic media platforms in the world. Our print magazine has been stocked internationally, our contributors also write for the most distinguished outlets on the planet, we’ve hosted hundreds of workshops, we’ve co-reported with Rolling Stone and Quartz, and we’ve recently published the first DoubleBlind book with Artisan. 

Early on, when we hosted Mycologia — our music festival in the Cuyama High Desert during Summer Solstice 2022 — and the New York Times covered it under the headline “Keeping the Hippie Dream Alive,” that was a monumental moment. We’d created a living, breathing community.

On the federal level, what reforms do you envision would happen for psychedelics over the next few years? Will all the advocacy for psychedelic therapies from powerful groups, such as veterans, cause certain bills to advance?

The momentum right now is extraordinary. We’re seeing psychedelic-related legislation introduced across dozens of states, covering everything from medical access to decriminalization to expanded research funding. That kind of legislative activity reflects a genuine shift in public consciousness.

Veterans are arguably the most powerful voice in this movement right now, and for good reason. When someone who served their country stands up and expresses, “This treatment saved my life when nothing else worked,” that transcends partisan politics. That advocacy will absolutely accelerate federal reform — whether through expanded research authorizations, compassionate use frameworks, or rescheduling specific compounds. 

From a communications standpoint, the brands and organizations positioning themselves now with the right relationships and the right cultural sensitivity will be the ones that shape how this space is understood for decades.I always come back to the importance of approaching this as a community, not just an industry. The reforms that will truly serve people need to be rooted in respect for these medicines, their histories, and the diverse indigenous communities that have stewarded them long before any legislature got involved.

Similarly, how do you think a federal rescheduling of cannabis would impact both your own duties as a PR professional and also the needs and operations of your cannabis clients?

Much depends, but here are some givens: For clients, the operational impact would be transformative. The tax burden under 280E has been crushing operators for years. With expansion comes new complexity — more competition, more sophisticated regulatory environments, and a greater need for strategic communications that differentiate and protect.

But, rescheduling alone won’t open a single prison door, expunge a single record, or return a single year to someone who lost decades over a plant that corporations are now profiting from. However, it does create a powerful new window for advocacy. When the federal government formally acknowledges that cannabis has been misclassified for decades, it reframes every conviction built on that old classification — and gives advocates, attorneys, and organizations like Last Prisoner Project stronger footing to push for clemency, expungement, and resentencing at scale. It shifts the narrative.

The opportunity ahead is extraordinary, but only if it’s truly restorative — where independent operators succeed, every last cannabis prisoner comes home, and the communities that bore the weight of prohibition finally share in its promise.