Tiffany Chin, CEO of Death Row Records Cannabis – Interview Series

While there are many celebrity brands in the American cannabis industry, few have as large and internationally beloved a profile as Snoop Dogg. Along with forays into various types of businesses and industries, he also launched several cannabis brands and ventures. In 2022, the legendary rapper and performer purchased the rights to the iconic music label that made him such a household name, Death Row Records. Along with that acquisition, he also accompanied a cannabis line with the famous name.  For a better understanding of celebrity cannabis brands and working for such a revered figure, mycannabis.com had the pleasure of speaking with Tiffany Chin, CEO of Death Row Records Cannabis.

So what subjects did you primarily study at The Wharton School, and what student organizations were you involved with while attending the University of Pennsylvania?

I concentrated in Marketing and Management, with a minor in Music focusing on jazz and world cultures — I even learned to play the sitar! Music has always been a big part of my life. I also play piano, clarinet, and the baritone saxophone.

Outside the classroom, I was in Chi Omega and heavily involved in Model UN. I ran the University of Pennsylvania Model UN Conference (UPMUNC), which is the largest student-run college conference in the country. It was a mix of leadership, logistics, and international affairs — all things I still love today.

When you were serving as a teacher’s assistant at The Wharton School, what important lessons did you include in your curriculum about entrepreneurship, and why were those lessons and topics included?

As a Teacher Assistant, I mostly handled grading, but I did have the opportunity to bring in guest speakers from time to time to share real-world insights. One of them was Josh Kopelman — a Wharton alum and early investor in Warby Parker (WRBY ), Mint.com, and Five Below (FIVE ).

We discussed how different corporate structures function, and the trade-offs between them. One of the biggest takeaways I tried to emphasize was that entrepreneurship isn’t just about the product — it’s about people. Investors bet on teams as much as they do ideas. Presence, conviction, and storytelling matter.

Before joining the cannabis industry, what industries did you mainly work in and provide consulting services for? How did the services you offered change based on the industry or business that you were helping? 

I started out in actuarial accounting consulting, where I became especially interested in how multicultural demographics impacted regional sales performance — that lens of cultural nuance and behavioral patterns really stuck with me.

Before that, I worked at Target corporate in the entertainment and music division, focusing on retail planning, buying, and analyzing sell-through. 

Early on in my career, I started to actively look for roles in the entertainment industry — I believed (and still do) that it’s one of the most resilient sectors. Even during economic downturns, people want joy, escape, and stories — they’ll still go to the movies.

How were you first introduced to cannabis? Did you ever envision turning cannabis into a career as successfully as you have? 

The first time I saw cannabis up close was at my high school senior yearbook burning bonfire — in China, no less — where a few guys from our jazz combo lit up on the sidelines. The rest of us were drinking and judging them hard, thinking weed was this terrible, addictive thing. I didn’t try it then.

Fast forward to freshman year of college — my hallmate offered some weed and invited my roommate and me outside. I didn’t feel anything. But by junior and senior year, I was smoking more regularly. Ironically, my “little little” in my sorority – her boyfriend – was my connect. 

How did you first become acquainted with The Doggfather himself? I would imagine there’s quite a funny story behind that. 

Absolutely. Back in 2012, I was interning in Los Angeles — not yet in the cannabis industry — and whenever Snoop stopped by the office, he’d have a smoke sesh and leave a trail of scraps behind. I’d quietly clean them up and stash them away for later. That was all I needed to get by until his next visit.

Then summer rolled around, and Snoop left for his summer tour. My unofficial “supply chain” dried up. I was too paranoid to sign up for the medical cannabis program at the time, so I turned to a coworker’s boyfriend who played in a band. Their drummer happened to be a grower in the gray market. I bought an ounce from him — and considering it lasted me three months, it’s safe to say I wasn’t exactly a heavy user.

We did the handoff the usual way — sitting awkwardly in the front seats of his car, trying not to make too much eye contact. But I remember thinking, huh… he’s actually kind of cute. When I reached out again to re-up, I added, “I don’t know if you remember what I look like, but would you want to grab a drink sometime?” And that was it. He’s now my husband.

Over time, he taught me everything about growing. I helped him manage his home grow operation in the garage and later supported him in scaling to a small warehouse setup with 10–15 lights. That hands-on cultivation experience, combined with my business training, is what positioned me to step into the industry more seriously.

In 2014, Snoop personally asked me to help launch his cannabis brand in Canada and Colorado — and the rollout was a huge success. I stepped back in 2021 after the birth of my child, but just a year later, in February 2022, Snoop called to say he’d acquired Death Row Records and wanted me to come on board. I didn’t hesitate. The opportunity to help revitalize such an iconic brand — this time through the lens of cannabis culture — was one I couldn’t pass up.

Besides his obvious lifelong love and association with cannabis, why did you feel that Snoop Dogg’s cannabis brands stuck out among their competition? 

Snoop is arguably the most iconic global ambassador for cannabis. His authenticity is unmatched — and it shows in everything we do, from our packaging to store design to product curation. He gives feedback on nearly every flower strain we launch and plays a creative role in how we shape the brand experience. That direct connection and care set us apart.

How did the Death Row Records cannabis brand come into existence? And how does the legacy of the legendary music label influence and inspire the brand and its products? 

We wanted to unboof celebrity cannabis — to move beyond hype and deliver something real. 

Death Row was born in the ’90s, in an era of house parties, good music, and shared ounces among friends. We’re channeling that vibe — laid back, joyful, and social.

Snoop saw an opportunity to revitalize the Death Row brand, and cannabis was a natural extension. Death Row Records Cannabis was the result — a blend of legacy, culture, and community.

What are some highlights and accomplishments that you’ve celebrated with Death Row Records Cannabis? What is the grand importance of these accolades?

We’ve opened SWED LAX, SWED (Tha Dogg House) AMS, expanded Death Row Records Cannabis into multiple regulated markets (NM, MI, CA, NV, OH), and launched our beverage line Do It Fluid under the Death Row banner, which is hemp-infused.

We also partnered with Sensi Seeds for genetics and launched our hemp D2C platform, trydeathrow.com. Each move reinforces our commitment to quality and to building a global footprint grounded in authenticity.

As the cannabis industry expands across both America and internationally, too, what are some exciting future plans for the Death Row Records brand? 

We’re working on opening more SWED retail locations, both in the U.S. and internationally. Each one is designed to be immersive — a true Snoop Dogg experience, not just a dispensary.

Product expansion is more complicated due to regulations, but we’re actively exploring new verticals and markets. Stay tuned — we’re just getting started.

Thank you for joining us, Tiffany! For more information on Death Row Cannabis, please visit its website.