Tag: Advertising
Barred from online ads, CBD sellers throw what they can at SEO and see what works
6/28/19--Facing restrictions from major ad players such as Google and Facebook Inc., companies selling products containing cannabidiol, or CBD, are looking for other avenues in which to market their goods — by amping up their search engine optimization, turning to third-party services, and leaning on social media influencers for promotional purposes. Read ‘Get Weed’ billboard gets unrelated Tumwater auto shop boycotted
6/14/19--Controversy erupted over Integrity Car Care in Tumwater this week. High above the car repair shop stands a billboard for a marijuana business stating “Get Weed.” This prompted the local community to start a boycott. However, the shop doesn’t own, nor does it have anything to do with the billboard. Read Health warnings, cannabis marketing and perceptions among youth and young adults in Canada
4/22/19--An increasing number of jurisdictions are legalizing recreational marijuana, including Canada. One of the primary goals under the Cannabis Act is to adequately inform Canadians about recreational marijuana and risks related to its use. According to the findings of a recent study, brand imagery on cannabis packaging can promote lifestyle associations and influence the appeal of cannabis products among young people. Read Cannabis brand Dosist opens first shop, brings product to Coachella
4/12/19--One of Hollywood’s go-to cannabis brands Dosist opened its first-ever store Wednesday in Venice. But they're not the only ones going brick-and-mortar with weed; Barneys New York and Neiman Marcus recently began offering CBD assortments. Other up-and-coming Los Angeles-based cannabis brands include DedCool Cannabis Chazsticks, a new line of vapes called Nuvata, and the Harry Styles-loved brand Higgs. Read CBMJ places Super Bowl ads for Baristas EnrichaRoast CBD Coffee
1/16/19--Canna Consumer Goods, Inc. / DBA Canna Broadcast Media has successfully placed ads for Baristas EnrichaRoast CBD Coffee at Super Bowl LIII. This is the first time any Marijuana related product will be seen at a Super Bowl, making this a ground-breaking moment. Read Maryland marijuana panel approves ban on cannabis advertising on billboards, radio, TV and other media
12/6/18--The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission voted unanimously Thursday to ban billboard, radio, TV, and most online advertising by marijuana companies — a move that representatives for the firms said they would fight in the General Assembly when it convenes next month. The new rules also prohibit advertising in print publications such as newspapers and magazines that cannot prove that 85 percent of their audience is over 18 years old, and bans the use of leaflets or flyers in most public and private places. Read Notice and Public Comment: NACB Advertising Standard
10/1/18--The National Association of Cannabis Businesses (NACB) is the first and only self-regulatory organization in U.S. cannabis. The organization's Standards Governance Board and Members voted to adopt the Advertising Standard in October 2018. Read How cannabis manufacturers tell a story through their sophisticated packaging
7/9/18--Product packaging is increasingly becoming a storytelling medium, especially in a nascent industry like recreational cannabis. It is more sophisticated than ever before, and brands that do it right are creating marketing history while simultaneously changing public opinion with their perfectly packaged creations. Developing cannabis manufacturers are raising the bar at the intersection of wellness, compliance, and luxury branding. Read Food businesses look to cash in on post-pot cravings with weed-free munchies
7/5/18--Undeterred by a ban on edibles in Canada's initial rollout of legal recreational marijuana, food companies have found a way to cash in on the buzz by catering to post-consumption cravings with marijuana-free munchies. Cannabis-free products are not subject to the strict marketing rules governing the marijuana industry, which is essentially banned from advertising in Canada, with some exceptions. Sensing the dawn of huge marketing opportunity without the complications that come with strict licensing of marijuana itself, other companies are also jumping on board the munchie wagon. Read San Francisco will remove cannabis advertising from public transit
11/22/17--San Francisco’s public transit board has voted to ban marijuana advertising on its buses, trains and shelters, reversing its current policy. Mayor Ed Lee was among those urging a ban on weed advertising, saying such a rule would limit children’s exposure to products meant for adults. Read You can now get a degree in marijuana in the Valley
11/10/17--Herbal Risings, the Valley's first school focusing on all things marijuana, was started by Chad Olshavsky in 2014 as a way to prepare individuals who want to work in the industry. "We understand what they are looking for in an employee, so we put all that together in a one-day class," Olshavsky explained. The class is six hours long and features guest speakers. Students are handed a certificate once completed. Read Anti-marijuana activists target ads for ‘Weedmaps’ app in Montreal
11/4/17--Ads promoting Weedmaps, a California-based website and mobile application, have sprung up in cities across Canada in recent months. The platform lists nearby medical marijuana dispensaries, delivery services as well and resources about cannabis. Anti-marijuana activists have been taking aim at the marijuana advertising that has cropped up in several cities, including on door hangers in Toronto. Read Group fighting Trudeau’s legal marijuana bill targets pot ads
11/2/17--The group Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) is claiming victory in its battle to squelch what it says are illegal pot ads on prominent billboards. SAM co-director Pamela McColl wants cities across Canada to remove billboards promoting Weedmaps, a website that advertises the locations of marijuana dispensaries. Read Mom and pop shop offers organic cannabis
10/19/17--The husband and wife team of Mike Babins and Maria Petrucci, who own the Vancouver-based dispensary Evergreen Cannabis Society, make their two-year-old compassion club as welcoming as possible, and they are proud of the personal touch offered at Evergreen. The couple focuses on creating an environment that's comfortable, cozy, and professional, while also offering informative lectures on cannabis, cannabinoids, nutrition, and health. To provide more holistic treatment options, they work with naturopathic doctors, an herbalist, and a massage studio. Read First billboard for medical marijuana appears in Albuquerque
10/23/17--A Clear Channel approved billboard promoting medical marijuana is a first for the outdoor advertising industry in New Mexico. The medical marijuana company Pur-Life features its campaign slogan “This is medicine.” Pur-Life says they hope the ads will remove the stigma behind marijuana and bring awareness to how it can help people suffering from debilitating conditions. Read First billboard ads for a marijuana dispensary debut
10/6/17--New England Treatment Access, NETA, which operates medical marijuana dispensaries in Brookline and Northampton, has purchased space on four billboards: two on the Massachusetts Turnpike near Exit 5 in Chicopee, one on Route 28 in Somerville, and another near the Mass. Ave. exit off Interstate 93 in Boston. The ads are simply set against a bright green background, they read, “Why wait for better health?” with NETA’s web address included. Read California gets into the weeds of pot marketing
8/30/17--One of several measures moving through the California legislature would impose restrictions on the marketing, labeling, and even the shape of pot products, in hopes of reducing its allure for those under 21. If approved, sources within the cannabis industry say it is likely to face a legal challenge as a measure that's both overbroad and places an unfair restriction of free speech rights. Companies say promotional items are being used to do more than just boost marijuana sales. They strive to also change the industry's outdated image and public perception. Read Las Vegas recreational marijuana retailer advertises with airline
9/1/17--Las Vegas recreational marijuana retailer Acres Cannabis completed a deal to advertise in Allegiant Air’s in-flight magazine, another sign of a growing movement by cannabis companies to expand their advertising reach through transportation outlets. Acres said it will begin running a full-page ad in Allegiant’s Sunseeker magazine on Sept. 1, the Las Vegas Sun reported, and the campaign will run through October. This appears to be the first time a cannabis company has run an ad in an in-flight magazine. Read California closer to banning branded marijuana merchandise
8/25/17--State legislators in California have taken another step toward banning legally licensed marijuana growers, producers, and dispensaries from using promotional products to advertise their businesses. Senate Bill 162, authored by state Sen. Ben Allen, would prevent cannabis businesses from advertising “through the use of branded merchandise, including, but not limited to, clothing, hats, or other merchandise with the name or logo of the product.” Read Weedmaps brings pro-marijuana billboards to Michigan
8/17/17--Weedmaps, a marijuana-related firm, is bringing its own “weedfacts” to Michigan during an ongoing petition drive seeking to put a marijuana legalization question on the 2018 statewide ballot. The California-based company is paying for 22 pro-pot billboards in the Lansing region, 12 around Ann Arbor, and six in Metro Detroit as part of an international campaign also targeting six other states and Canada. The billboards feature selective statistics showing unchanged youth use, increased tax revenue, theft reductions and other developments in states that have already legalized weed. Read Marijuana mapping company puts up pro-legalization advertisements in Michigan
8/12/17--Weedmaps, a mapping and technology service for dispensaries and other marijuana services nationwide, has invested in digital and physical advertising in three Michigan cities to tout the benefits of legalized marijuana. The Californina-based company recently started a public education campaign called WEEDFACTS to "provide communities with credible, verifiable facts about the benefits of legal marijuana" and start discussion around the issue, a company spokesperson said. Read Marijuana billboard in South Boston called ‘insensitive’
7/12/17--A marijuana billboard owned by Clear Channel featuring an advertisement placed by Weedmaps, an online marijuana dispensary rating service that also sells inventory software to pot shops, has been deemed insensitive as a result of being placed in a neighborhood hard hit by opioid abuse. Furthermore, the message violates Clear Channel's own policy regarding “exclusionary zones.’’ Read Limits considered for marijuana advertising
6/12/17--Driven by concerns over marijuana marketing to teens, state lawmakers are weighing strict rules for recreational pot advertising. Coupons, free samples, prizes, discounts, or other promotional activities — including distribution of branded pot merchandise — would be prohibited. Advertising such as signs outside a marijuana retail outlet as well as direct marketing to customers through email, texts, or other forms of communication would be allowed. Read Do you want to grow marijuana at home? New L.A. classes show you how
6/9/17--Fig Earth Supply, a Mount Washington nursery, is offering its first-ever classes in “Cannabis Cultivation for the Home Grower.” The two-part evening classes taking place June 13 and 14 are focused on the casual grower and limited to 15 students. Based on the response, they’re already planning a second set of classes for June 27 and 28. Read Ambiguities remain in advertising regulations for cannabis businesses
5/23/17--There’s a lot of confusion around what exactly some of the marijuana business regulations mean in Alaska, leading to missteps and accidental violations. Under the standing regulations, retail marijuana stores can’t “sell, give, distribute or offer to sell, give, distribute, or deliver marijuana or marijuana products” over the internet or as a marketing promotion, among other restrictions. The marketing promotions are tightly controlled, and have a number gray areas. Read Medical marijuana company advertises in New York subways
5/23/17--Vireo Health of New York, one of the state’s five licensed MMJ companies, on Monday launched a large-scale medical cannabis advertising campaign in the New York City subway system that targets nearly 100 stations with posters touting MMJ. If the campaign encounters no pushback, it would be a notable marketing breakthrough for both Vireo and the state’s MMJ industry, which has struggled for multiple reasons, including tight advertising restrictions. Read State lawmakers don’t think pot billboards should be appealing to kids
4/21/17--Washington state lawmakers are looking to crack down on roadside marijuana billboards that feature cannabis plants, cuddly animals, or other images they fear could attract children to the drug. The Legislature passed a wide-ranging set of tweaks to the state’s marijuana laws, including new rules for what can and can’t appear on pot billboards. The measure, Senate Bill 5131, awaits a signature from Gov. Jay Inslee. Read Proliferation of marijuana ads alarms addiction researchers
3/28/17--In a new study, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report that more than half of young pot users they surveyed have seen marijuana ads — either online or in more traditional forms of advertising such as billboards and print media. Although the survey group only included people who said they used pot and was not a nationally representative sample, the study’s first author, Melissa J. Krauss, called it alarming that so many people had seen ads for pot, even in places where such ads are supposed to be prohibited. Read For marijuana advertisers, options are limited
3/1/17--Despite shifting public opinion and the legalization of recreational marijuana in eight states, most social media sites, online ad networks, broadcasters, and print publications enforce partial or outright bans on pot content. While advertisers do not want to risk being punished for promoting a contraband product due to the fact that marijuana remains illegal under federal law, some argue the inability to advertise to a wider audience is holding back efforts to “professionalize” marijuana’s image and costing the industry millions of dollars in lost opportunity. Read Marijuana shops imitate Apple store
2/5/17--Marijuana shops are starting to get a makeover. Cannabis entrepreneurs, borrowing from successful retailers such as Apple and Whole Foods, are opening dispensaries with natural light, spacious displays, and open-floor plans. With weed now legal for recreational use in eight states, such amenities could attract new customers who are less familiar with cannabis, and may be put off by the industry’s generally dingy shopping experience. Read Are ganjapreneurs going after healthy living as a new marijuana marketing tactic?
1/26/17--In a classic consumer-marketing move, a new breed of ganjapreneurs are using a new marijuana marketing strategy. They’re replacing stoner slang with supermarket-friendly names that purport to help customers live better. In essence, these marketers want to transform the image of marijuana so that it competes with scores of products already in liquor stores, markets, and pharmacies. Read Snoop Dogg to visit Scottsdale marijuana dispensary
12/29/16--Rap star Snoop Dogg is visiting Level Up, a medical marijuana dispensary located in Scottsdale. Snoop is visiting the area as part of his "Puff Puff Pass" tour. Read California considers ban on roadside-billboard marijuana ads
12/22/16--State lawmakers are considering legislation – Assembly Bill 64 – that would amend California’s recently passed Proposition 64 recreational marijuana initiative by imposing stricter rules for marijuana advertising. The new legislation would extend the ban to prohibit marijuana advertising along any stretch of interstate or state highway in California. Read Sales projections for states that legalized cannabis
11/21/16--States that passed marijuana measures earlier this month eventually could generate more in annual retail MJ sales than the entire U.S. cannabis industry is expected to this year. The current recreational cannabis market will bring in an estimated $1.4-$1.7 billion dollars in retail sales by the end of 2016, and the addition of four new adult-use states will expand the size of this market by another $5.9 billion-$6.7 billion annually three to five years after rec shops open in each market. Read Cannabis strain names have the most fascinating origin stories!
10/13/16--Strain names range from whimsical to seriously profound. Some of the most famous strains got their names from the history of their evolution. Some are derived from the intent of their breeders. Others are the products of urban mythology. This article dives into the names of 10 of the most well-known strains. Read What’s in a cannabis company name? Not as much slang
10/10/16--The marijuana industry has been in a perpetual struggle to shake the “stoner” stereotype, and the businesses that comprise the industry are leading the charge against it. An analysis of 3, 318 state-licensed cannabis companies in the Marijuana Business License Directory shows that wellness-oriented words such as “organic” or “herbal” appear far more frequently in business names than slang terms such as “ganja,” “420” and “pot.” Read U.S. pro-marijuana campaigners launch TV ads
10/3/16--Campaigns to legalize recreational marijuana use in Massachusetts and Maine launched their first television ads on Monday, hoping to boost public awareness and support ahead of November votes on the issue. The ads began just over a month before Election Day, when voters in five U.S. states will determine whether to legalize the recreational use of the drug. Read Reno event provides medical marijuana information to veterans
9/25/16--The Canna Community Connection hosted an event for veterans and other members of the community to learn more about medical marijuana. Medical marijuana businesses were invited onsite to educate the public about the medical marijuana business in Reno, current medical marijuana regulations and the upcoming recreational marijuana bill on the ballot in November. Read