Stop Falling for These Cannabis Digital Marketing Myths

The cannabis industry is a maze of laws and prohibitions that leave marketers unsure of how to promote their products. In this piece, we debunk the four common cannabis digital marketing myths in Canada for some clarity.

How can cannabis marketers and brands get the word out about their product if cannabis marketing laws differ in every state in the USA and the laws in Canada are so restrictive?

With Google and mainstream social media platforms being in the USA, a country where cannabis is not federally legal, creating and promoting content about cannabis is often not accepted or discouraged online. Even in countries where cannabis is legal like Canada, the platforms’ rules and policies apply.

With so many rumors, inconsistent marketing practices and varying experiences of cannabis brands, we decided to uncover the reality behind four cannabis digital marketing myths according to Canadian cannabis law.

DISCLAIMER:
Please note that laws and legislation about cannabis advertising differ from place to place. Please do your due diligence to check the local rules and regulations around cannabis advertising in your area if you are outside of Canada. 

Findable Digital Marketing does not offer legal advice. All opinions found in this blog are that of writers’ and these opinions do not represent any entity whatsoever with which we are, have been or will be affiliated. Kindly check with your local cannabis advertising laws.

“Email newsletters about cannabis always go straight to spam.”

Is this a myth? Yes and no.

Cannabis-friendly email marketing platforms are hard to come by. Some will flag emails with terms like cannabis or marijuana as spam, lowering open rates while others will exercise strict policies that threaten account suspension altogether. 

Canada’s Cannabis Act states that informational promotion of cannabis is exempt which can be applied to email marketing so long as it adheres to the other restrictions such as ensuring it is not accessible by individuals below the province’s legal age.

E-mail marketing can prove to be an extremely useful tool for cannabis businesses. With a creative and informational approach, cannabis businesses can reach the appropriate consumers directly without algorithms getting in the way. 

The trick is finding a cannabis-friendly email marketing platform. After doing some research I noticed how often people talk about and are confused by this particular cannabis digital marketing myth. So, I put together a list of the most recommended email marketing platforms, along with links to their policies below:

1. Moosend 

2. Mailerlite

3. Mailchimp

4. Aweber

According to many blogs, articles and customer reviews, some cannabis businesses continue to use the above listed platforms without any issues while others had their accounts suspended for reasons unknown or see most of their emails go into the spam folder.

This means that a certain amount of risk exists if you decide to go with one of the above mentioned email marketing platforms, also because most of them are based in the U.S.A.

Our recommendation is to research email marketing platforms that are based and operate in countries where cannabis is legal. Before paying for a subscription, contact the platform to ask about their policies and spam filters regarding cannabis.

“Social media is the only cannabis-friendly marketing channel.”

Is this a myth? Yes. 

This is a very commonly misinterpreted cannabis digital marketing myth that especially confuses new users into thinking otherwise because cannabis is legal in their home country.

Regardless of the country, social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter strictly prohibit the promotion and sale of marijuana on their platforms since cannabis is still illegal at a federal level in the U.S.A.

You will still notice many accounts and pages of cannabis brands, dispensaries, reviews writers and so on, on these platforms. Why do they continue to use social media despite this looming threat of account suspension or deactivation?

Some cannabis-related pages have managed to survive on social media platforms with help from the following suggestions:

1. Organic Reach Content:
   Pages post content and increase footfall or followers without paying for the publicity feature. Getting creative with hashtags is also a good idea.
   

2. Informational Content:
   Cannabis pages should focus on publishing useful and educational content instead of content for the purpose of making sales. 
   

3. Other Relevant Sources:
   You can publish posts citing other educational cannabis content such as articles, blog posts, podcasts, etc.
   

4. Platform Features:
   Make use of features such as stories, videos, reels, etc, to promote educational and informational content, such as interviews with cannabis industry experts.
   

5. Collaborate With Other Pages:
   I myself have noticed many successful cannabis pages run by individual consumers, people in the industry, cannabis accessory brands and so on. You can reach out to collaborate on a video post so that their massive followers list can view your page.
   

6. Age Gates and Disclaimers:
   Add a disclaimer in your bio or adding a minimum age to your account’s audience, such as on Instagram by following these instructions.

Although certain pages manage to survive on these platforms, there is still the risk of having your account suspended or removed.

“Google and mainstream social media platforms ban cannabis paid advertising.”

Is this a myth? No.
Google’s advertising policy clearly states that it does not allow the advertising of recreational drugs.The policy states Marijuana specifically. Same goes for the other major social media platforms.

Some cannabis companies have managed to get their advertising campaigns approved by social media platforms by creating educational or informative content but those numbers are too small to justify the risk or confirm that this is a cannabis digital marketing myth.

LinkedIn and Snapchat are popular mainstream platforms that hold great potential in getting the word out about your cannabis business, using informational content only, since their policies are more lenient.

You will also find cannabis digital marketing specific platforms such as Leafly, alternative online advertising networks like Mantis or up and coming online cannabis magazines specific to your country that advertise cannabis products.

Given that these resources are specific to cannabis and invite visitors specifically looking for cannabis products or information on cannabis, advertising on such platforms could prove to be useful with mutual advertising benefits.

“Paid influencers and testimonials for cannabis products, cannabis-related services and cannabis accessories are all permitted.”

Is this a myth? Yes.
This is a very common, misconstrued cannabis digital marketing myth. In Canada, the Cannabis Act clearly states the following:
Here are some ways brands get around influencer marketing:

1. Building personal relationships with influencers.
   
   It is legal to possess and share up to 30 grams of cannabis, so many cannabis companies build a rapport and share their products with popular influencers so that these influencers curate and publish posts about their own personal experiences of the product.
   

2. Tapping into online cannabis networks or groups.
   
   Communities made of cannabis experts is one way to build a rapport with influencers and access their following. For instance, the budtenders association is run by a group of industry experts that educate and interact with budtenders in Canada. The association occasionally shares products with budtenders and asks for feedback on these products as well.
   

3. Host swag giveaways.
   
   Influencers cannot legally promote your product but one workaround I’ve seen is getting them to promote your brand. I’ve seen influencers create content using branded merchandise like t-shirts, masks, pens, notebooks and so on from cannabis brands.
   

The number of creative methods brands have come up with are countless but whether it is safe for them to continue creative expression through this grey area is hard to say.

Final Thoughts On Cannabis Digital Marketing

It may seem like the rules and regulations for promoting cannabis have you tightly roped in but after busting the above mentioned cannabis digital marketing myths, you now know there are safer platforms to promote your cannabis products.

Instead of allowing these restrictions to drive you up the wall, you are given the opportunity to exercise your creativity, for example, publishing informational content about cannabis and your products and improving your website’s design to stand out from the competition.

The key takeaway should be that if you cannot take the mainstream way, adapt and look for options that not only respect the rules and regulations but align with your cannabis brand’s message and your target audience.

DISCLAIMER:
Please note that laws and legislation about cannabis advertising differ from place to place. Please do your due diligence or consult a lawyer to check the local rules and regulations around cannabis advertising in your area if you are outside of Canada.