Cannabis Brands, Beware: 'Probably Half' of Our Influencer Deals Went Bad

Editor's note: This article is adapted from a public podcast interview with Harrison Bomb, founder of Daily High Club. The creators and artists described below are not named — a public accusation needs more than one side of a story.

When Harrison Bomb, founder of Daily High Club — the company that sold a million bongs before a $10 million exit — looks back on influencer marketing, he doesn't sugarcoat it: "So many influencers have screwed us. Probably about half the time."

For anyone running a dispensary, brand, or smoke shop considering influencer deals, his war stories are the cautionary tale you want before you write the first check.

The MoneyGram

His first bad deal happened in the super-early days, before the company had any real name. A popular stoner creator agreed to review the box for a few hundred dollars. "He immediately was like, 'F yes.' He was like, 'You need to send me a MoneyGram at Walmart.'"

Then came the voicemail that sold the dream: "Bro, you got me on the boat. We are going to be on the boat after this." He remembers being naive and thrilled — his five roommates were huge fans of this creator and would watch him together, and suddenly he thought the company had made it.

"He just took the money." The creator did post one video — he ate the box on camera for a second — then took it down fast, because the person on his shirt had paid him and didn't want the weed association. "Then he just never responded again."

The rapper who didn't remember signing

The bigger, costlier version came later, in the rap space. A rapper with around a million followers signed a contract — then claimed he didn't remember it. "I was high when I signed the contract. I don't even remember signing the contract."

"It's like, well, I have your signature. I was with you. You signed the contract. We went to your house." It didn't matter. "He just didn't do it."

The kicker is what the company had already spent: "We made like $15,000 of branded products with his name on it. All the money we have is invested in merch with your name on it, and we have to push it and sell it anyway even though you're not posting anything at all."

His summary of the whole category: "Almost all the rapper deals go like that. They just don't post anything."

The good ones exist

It wasn't all bad. The partnerships that worked had a pattern — and it wasn't about follower count. The creators who actually moved product were the ones who used the product and whose audiences trusted them: "Silenced Hippie was really good to work with. B Real was really good to work with." One collab piece with a major creator went into the subscription box and sold exceptionally well — 40,000 bongs with his name on it.

The rule he landed on: "If I won't use it, then probably everyone else who watches my content probably won't either." The same filter that protected his brand's reputation also protected his marketing budget.

The honest check

These are his accounts of deals from years ago, and we've kept the names of the people involved out — a public accusation needs more than one side of a story. The pattern he describes — upfront payments collected, deliverables never delivered, contracts signed and forgotten — is, however, a well-documented reality of the influencer economy, and his "about half the time" failure rate is consistent with what brand managers report anecdotally across industries, not just cannabis.

How to protect your brand

• Pay on deliverable, not upfront. Deposit or milestone-based payments — never 100% before the post exists. His worst deals all started with full money out the door.
• Get a real contract, and make deliverables explicit. Number of posts, platforms, usage window, content approval rights. "I have your signature" only matters if the contract says what they owe you.
• Don't manufacture inventory before the content runs. The $15,000 of branded merch sat in a warehouse because the post never came. Confirm the post, then commit the production budget.
• Follower count is not trust. The best partners were creators whose audiences believed them — not the biggest ones. Vet engagement and audience fit, not just the number.
• Start small and test. A few hundred dollars burned on a bad first deal is a tuition payment. A five-figure deal with an unproven partner is a mistake.

His advice to anyone about to write an influencer check: "You have to work out brand deals with the right companies. You can't put all your eggs in one basket." In other words — spread the bets, protect the downside, and remember that in this economy, the person who already has your money has a lot less reason to work for it.

This article is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Consult a professional before entering into influencer or endorsement agreements.