Canna Boss Babes and Real Potparazzi Plan 40-State Cannabis Media Tour

The Canna Boss Babes and The Real Potparazzi are taking their coverage of cannabis culture and independent businesses on the road with a six-month national tour scheduled to begin Feb. 20, 2027.

Led by Canna Boss Babes founder Ishqa Hillman and photographer Lilli Kay Caroom, the mobile media project plans to travel through more than 40 states before concluding Aug. 20. Along the way, the pair will produce interviews, podcasts, photography, videos, livestreams and written stories about the people, businesses and local regulations shaping cannabis across the United States.

The project will begin in Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, with an editorial emphasis on women-owned, equity-licensed, legacy and independently operated businesses, as well as craft cultivators, creators and community leaders.

“Independent businesses and local communities are carrying this culture, but too often the national story moves past them,” Hillman said. “We are going on the road to listen, document and connect people—not simply collect content.”

Hillman has conducted more than 1,000 interviews through The Canna Boss Babes since 2020, according to the organization. Caroom, who works under the name The Real Potparazzi, specializes in documentary and brand photography connected to cannabis culture. She has also lived and traveled in a van since 2020.

The project combines editorial coverage with a commercial partnership model. Cannabis companies, ancillary service providers and businesses serving travelers can apply to become tour sponsors, featured destinations or regional collaborators.

Available opportunities include branded content, photography and video production, podcast interviews, livestream exposure, budtender education, co-hosted events and other market-level activations. The organizers are also seeking partners in apparel, technology, food, lodging, wellness and pet products.

A presenting partnership would include tour naming rights, category exclusivity, interior van branding and a joint press announcement, according to the tour’s website. Because cannabis rules and attitudes vary by jurisdiction, external branded signs will only be displayed at selected events, dispensaries, lounges and other participating locations.

The model gives participating businesses an opportunity to connect a national media campaign with individual state and local markets. That may be particularly relevant for independent operators that lack the marketing budgets or geographic reach of large multistate cannabis companies.

Rather than building the tour exclusively around major conferences or established brands, Hillman and Caroom are inviting operators, journalists and community members to recommend local businesses and people whose stories may otherwise receive little national attention.

The tour will also examine the regulatory fragmentation confronting cannabis businesses and consumers. Its planned coverage includes changes in state laws, potential legal penalties and the practical challenges of traveling through jurisdictions with markedly different approaches to cannabis.

Travel safety—particularly for women and solo travelers—will be another recurring subject. The organizers plan to share information about dependable rest stops, responsible camping, local rules and other considerations for people traveling across the country.

“Van life has taught me that freedom on the road depends on preparation, awareness and respect for every place you enter,” Caroom said. “I want this tour to help women, especially women traveling alone, understand the laws and penalties from state to state, find safer and more reliable places to stop, and see that it is possible to explore the country responsibly.”

Planned destinations include dispensaries, consumption lounges, cultivation facilities, restaurants, lodging businesses, industry events and community gathering places. Pepper, a pit bull, and Mango, a turtle, will accompany Hillman and Caroom on the journey.

The tour is scheduled to conclude with the sixth Babes in the Bay gathering.

Businesses and community members can explore partnership opportunities, recommend a destination or apply to participate through the tour website.