Marketing

Illinois-based Cresco Labs has won a Healthcare Marketing Report National Healthcare Advertising Award – the first cannabis company to receive the honor. The company won the Silver Award for their education-based “State of Relief” campaign. Cresco said the goal of the poster campaign was “to try and normalize the cannabis industry for those seeking relief […]

Citibank has asked a California dispensary that has riffed off the bank’s name to stop using the moniker Citidank – although it’s unclear whether any sort of official cease and desist has been filed. In a back page ad in Coachella Valley Weekly, the Cathedral City-based shop said they cater to “all your danking needs.” “Unless […]

Celebrities will not be allowed to endorse recreational cannabis products in Canada and a July 1 legalization date was “never on the table,” according to the government’s legalization point-man MP Bill Blair. The former Toronto Police chief appeared on The West Block to clarify some aspects of the nation’s forthcoming legalization scheme. “The law is […]

Cannabis is swiftly becoming one of the darlings of media buzz.  Growing at lightning speed, this industry is alive and crazed with press clamoring over the next big moment or product. As a 30-year veteran in entertainment marketing, I’ve worked consistently with media outlets around the world, perfecting strategies to get my clients noticed.   […]

Weedmaps has responded to the California Bureau of Cannabis Control’s cease-and-desist request to stop advertising unlicensed dispensaries in their cannabis dispensary mapping site, the Sacramento Bee reports. In a letter to the agency, Weedmaps says its advertisers “represent and warrant that they are in compliance with local law” and that those individual companies are responsible, […]

California’s head of the Bureau of Cannabis Control Lori Ajax has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Weedmaps directing the Irvine-based internet company that maps cannabis dispensaries to stop advertising unlicensed retailers in the state, according to an Orange County Register report. Ajax said if the company does not immediately remove the ads, it could face […]

When it comes to marketing your cannabis brand, you need to cast the widest net you possibly can — but what does that mean? How do you navigate an ocean of marketing choices without drowning in the clutter? As a cannabis business, there are so many ways to get discovered, collaborate, advertise, and associate yourself, […]

MedMen, producers of cannabis products in two states, are rolling out an advertising campaign in California called “Faces” which will feature close-ups of customers’ faces with phrases such as “Relax. It’s legal,” and “Heal. It’s legal,” CNBC reports. Daniel Yi, MedMen president of corporate communications, called the campaign, which will feature billboards and truck advertising, […]

Fast food chain Jack in the Box has partnered with cannabis-centric media company Merry Jane on a Munchie Meal, which features two tacos, five mini churros, three crispy chicken strips, a half-serving of curly fries, a half-serving of regular fries, and a small drink for $4.20. According to the Adweek report, the meals will be […]

“Design is where science and art break even.” Consumers make instinctual purchase choices, and your packaging is a leading factor in how those choices are made. How something looks, feels, smells — its impact is immeasurable. You’ve spent precious time and money creating your cannabis product, but what are the next steps? How do you […]

California’s Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District has banned cannabis related advertising, the San Francisco Examiner reports. The move bars ads from ferries crossing the San Francisco Bay, buses using the bridge, and from ferry terminals and transit kiosks. The move follows a ban by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, which prohibits advertising […]

New Frontier Data, a cannabis industry research and analytics firm, is partnering with social media and technology platform MassRoots on a project to “elevate digital marketing practices and better understand social consumer behavior.” New Frontier’s data engine will enable MassRoots to “aggregate, analyze and monetize the large volume of consumer engagement data” it collects through […]

Montel Williams and Montel Williams Enterprises Inc. are suing three Arizona-based CBD-marketing entities and one Scottsdale resident, Timothy K. Isaac, over their claims that the former talk show host endorsed their CBD products. The lawsuit claims that the defendants repurposed contents of a Forbes article on websites and social media, misappropriating Williams’ name and likeness, […]

Tapatio Foods LLC., a California-based hot sauce and salsa manufacturer, has filed a lawsuit against California medical cannabis company Payoso Grow claiming that the company has violated Tapatio trademarks. The lawsuit claims that the cannabis company’s Trapatio cannabis-infused chile sauce infringes on their “Charro” mark – a man in a sombrero, yellow shirt, and red […]

Imagine you’re a caterer and have the biggest wedding of your career this weekend. You ask 100 employees to bake you a vanilla cake with vanilla icing. Seems simple enough, right? The next day your staff comes back with 100 different versions of the cake and you’re shocked. How could vanilla on vanilla have so […]

Cannabis Club TV, a digital infotainment network currently developing a cannabis-centric travel show with Tommy Chong, has acquired dispensary digital marketing company Vast Display Network in a stock and cash deal worth $2.75 million over two years. Chong, 79, announced the show’s development in August. It’s described as “similar” to “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.” Danny […]

A new cannabis-focused music distribution service called Hi-Tunes is offering pre-rolled joints that come with QR codes for free music downloads, Complete Music Update reports. The platform is a spinoff of cannabis brand Caviar Gold’s in-house record label. Scott McKinley, co-founder of the service, said Hi-Tunes gives artists branded cannabis lines to market and if sales do […]

As we close the summer and head back to our fall routines in business and life, I began thinking of how much building your cannabis brand mirrors heading back to school. You often hear CEO’s say “my brand is my baby,” and in many ways it’s true. Many business owners make the mistake of believing […]

Hoban Law Group, a Colorado-based cannabis-focused law firm, has been running a commercial on CNN, Fox News, Fox Business, MSNBC, Headline News, and Viceland, since Aug. 21 – the first time a national TV spot has been aired that uses the word “cannabis.” While the firm does not offer a tangible product, they offer legal […]

California’s Assembly Appropriations Committee has put the bill to outlaw cannabis advertising on clothing on hold, effectively killing the proposal that industry stakeholders argued would have deprived them of legitimate profits, the Los Angeles Times reports. State Sen. Ben Allen, who had proposed the legislation, claimed it “was a commonsense measure” aimed at preventing cannabis […]

Acres Cannabis — a cannabis retailer in Las Vegas, Nevada — has secured an advertising deal to appear in corporate airline Allegiant Air’s in-flight magazine, according to a press release from the company. This announcement comes following a broad Clark County Commission proposal that would ban cannabis advertisements throughout Las Vegas’ McCarren International Airport properties and potentially […]

The Netflix Collection, cannabis strains with names based on characters and themes from the streaming platform’s shows, were available over the weekend at the Alternative Herbal Health pop-up in West Hollywood, California, the Guardian reports. The products were available only to medical cannabis cardholders and Netflix did not profit from the sales. Some of the […]

In the ever-complex cannabis industry, we face the ongoing challenges of trying to reach consumers in a highly regulated and restrictive world of advertising policies. To adapt, companies have turned primarily to free social media platforms to create meaningful brands and connect with customers, with the caveat of not being allowed to talk about cannabis […]

According to a survey by Emerging Insider, a content relations firm, marketers throughout North America are split on whether or not they would be open to working with the cannabis industry. The survey of 600 marketers found 43 percent of respondents were willing to take on cannabis industry clients, while 32 percent said they would not […]