Advertising Cannabis Products: What You Need to Know

Advertising cannabis products is legal but with heavy restrictions. Learn more about what you need to know when creating an effective advertising strategy.

Advertising Cannabis Products: What You Need to Know

Advertising cannabis products is legal, but with heavy restrictions. The law is based on the position that it is prohibited to “promote cannabis”, accessories or services related to cannabis. However, the legislation leaves certain exceptions open. When it comes to promoting real cannabis products, don't expect to see an influx of ads anytime soon.

Within the Cannabis Act, there are strict guidelines around the packaging and promotion of cannabis. The regulations for advertising cannabis are very similar to those for tobacco. This means that if you're a dispensary or other entity that actually sells cannabis, you might be out of luck when it comes to paid advertising, at least for now. Today, cannabis is still banned federally, which can make it difficult to create an effective advertising strategy. From medicine to recreational to CBD, each state has its own set of advertising regulations.

Cannabis sellers must know each of them in order to successfully address the different challenges they present. In addition to the Federal Cannabis Act, provincial and territorial governments may adopt legislation relating, among other things, to the promotion and application of cannabis. The really regrettable thing about this policy is that it prohibits anything remotely related to cannabis, including lawyers, doctors, advertisers, job recruiters, education and training centers, and many other companies that don't actually sell cannabis. The Ontario government and the Ontario Alcohol and Gaming Commission (AGCO), which is responsible for regulating Ontario's retail cannabis stores, have published laws, regulations and guidelines related to the promotion of cannabis in Ontario. When it comes to creating an effective advertising strategy for cannabis products, there are five key considerations that sellers should keep in mind. First and foremost, try content that focuses on your company's culture or values rather than directly promoting cannabis or cannabis-derived products.

Secondly, only people who have a marketing license or a retail store license can promote and sell cannabis to adults age 19 and older in B. Thirdly, the Cannabis Act contains a general prohibition of false, misleading or misleading promotions in relation to cannabis. Fourthly, Ad Standards provides a review of the advertising text for radio, television, press and digital of those authorized natural health products that include parts of the cannabis plant that are not subject to the Cannabis Act. Lastly, the Cannabis Regulation further limits the promotion of cannabis in relation to flavors, health benefits and cosmetics. The marketing of cannabis in Canada is severely restricted.

Health Canada and other regulators offer relatively little guidance following the enactment of the Cannabis Act to help interpret cannabis laws. Read Health Canada's Cannabis Promotion Prohibitions to find a summary of the rules and frequently asked questions about cannabis promotion bans.The Cannabis Regulations provide an exemption for authorized sellers if they take reasonable steps to ensure that any young person is allowed to possess cannabis for prescribed medical reasons. This includes allowing outdoor signage that identifies the company but prohibiting certain types of endorsements and testimonials as well as marketing associated with medicine, health or pharmaceutical products. Advertising cannabis products can be tricky due to its legal status in many countries. However, with careful consideration of all relevant laws and regulations as well as creative content strategies that focus on company culture rather than directly promoting products or services related to cannabis, sellers can create effective advertising strategies that maximize their paid digital media strategies.

Cooper Lavoie
Cooper Lavoie

Wannabe tv evangelist. Avid tv junkie. Infuriatingly humble beer guru. Amateur zombie guru. Hardcore tea nerd.