Advertising

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 […]

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 […]

The Orange County Fair Board has voted to prohibit cannabis-related events, cannabis sales, and cannabis paraphernalia at the Costa Mesa, California fairgrounds, the Los Angeles Times reports. The new rules were approved unanimously by the five present members of the nine-member board. The rules also bar sponsors, vendors, and exhibitors from making any references to […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Hazel Fruitman is the CEO of Cannabis Wallet, a company that specializes in unique mobile marketing strategies and customer engagement for companies operating in the cannabis space. Cannabis Wallet offers a mobile wallet pass that can be added to a mobile device and gives companies the ability to interact with their customers in a more […]

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 […]

During a public hearing by the Clark County Commission, which encompasses Las Vegas’ McCarren International Airport, commissioners proposed an ordinance that would ban cannabis advertisements and make cannabis possession illegal on all airport-owned properties, according to a report from Aviation Pros. However, if approved as-is, cannabis advertisements could also be banned from vehicles carrying passengers […]

Californians planning to run cannabis businesses under MAUCRSA should pay special attention to the new advertising regulations if they want to connect with customers without attracting citations, fines, or worse. Due to the heavy restrictions, many traditional advertising channels might not be available, so creating a message that resonates with customers will require strategy and […]

Considering cannabis is still a federally illegal, Schedule I drug, licensed operators in state-legal medical and adult-use markets have to navigate a particularly complex maze of red tape when it comes to advertising and marketing. In most cannabis markets, public-facing advertising is limited in many ways and in other markets, it’s completely restricted. This puts […]

A pro-cannabis billboard advertisement from Weedmaps has been removed in South Boston following complaints about its content and its location near schools and places of worship, according to a Boston Globe report. The ad, which read “States that legalized marijuana had 25% fewer opioid-related deaths,” was placed in a neighborhood hit hard by opioid abuse. […]

The owners and employees of at least six retail cannabis shops in Alaska claim that within the last week Facebook has either deleted or taken down their pages, leaving them with one less advertising option, according to an Alaska Dispatch News report. The affected businesses include Arctic Herbery, Enlighten Alaska, Frozen Budz, Pakalolo Supply Co., […]