CANNABIS MARKETING
The Only Guide You'll Ever Need

Cannabis marketing is the strategic promotion of cannabis, CBD, and hemp-derived products, dispensaries, and ancillary businesses while adhering to complex state cannabis advertising laws. 

Success in cannabis marketing hinges on compliance, creativity, and authentic consumer connection. Since traditional platforms like Google and Meta impose heavy restrictions on promoting cannabis products, success requires a mix of:

📈 Digital Marketing

• SEO: To rank in Google and YouTube search results
• Content Marketing: To educate and build consumer trust
• Social Media Marketing: To build brand presence and foster community
• Email & SMS Marketing: For personalized, direct engagement
• Paid Media: Programmatic advertising, X (Twitter), and Google Ads to attract and convert
  

📢 Brand & Engagement Marketing

• Brand Storytelling & Influencer Marketing: To spark awareness, trust, and loyalty
  
• Loyalty Programs: To drive retention and repeat purchases
• Events & Local Marketing: To foster real-world engagement and foot traffic
• Public Relations (PR): To shape brand perception, gain media coverage, and build credibility
• Guerrilla Marketing: To generate buzz through creative, unconventional campaigns

Yes, You Can Advertise Cannabis on Mainstream Channels!

Despite advertising restrictions, cannabis programmatic advertising allows cannabis businesses to run compliant ads on mainstream inventory like ESPN, New York Times, Barstool Sports, and across devices like:

•  Mobile Display 
•  Digital out-of-home (DOOH) screens
•  Connected TV (CTV)

By combining compliant, data-driven digital strategies with engaging consumer content, cannabis businesses can expand their reach, increase sales, and grow market share.

Marketing cannabis products requires more than creativity—it demands compliance. Every state has its own rules, and every platform has its own restrictions. To advertise effectively and legally, you need to understand both.

We’ve broken down the safest, most effective digital strategies and which platforms allow cannabis ads, based on your state’s regulations and product category.

🔗 Explore our guide to cannabis advertising laws by state →

In that guide, you’ll learn:

• What is LDA (legal drinking age) compliance
  
• Which platforms (like Google, Meta, and Twitter/X) allow cannabis or hemp ads—and what restrictions apply

• Compliant cannabis marketing strategies like SEO, influencer marketing, and cannabis programmatic ad regs

• How to navigate LegitScript, geo-targeting, and compliant inventory

Whether you're a cannabis dispensary, delivery service, CBD brand, or agency, understanding where you can advertise is just as important as how. Start there, then come back here to build a winning cannabis marketing strategy.

The code has been cracked—cannabis tech is the growth engine. Each piece works together to integrate customer data, enabling precise audience targeting and personalized messaging across multiple channels. It empowers agile campaign management with real-time analytics, fostering continuous optimization and measurable ROI to track the impact of your cannabis marketing strategy.

Core Components of a Cannabis Tech Stack

• CRM & Automation – Manage relationships, automate outreach, and personalize messaging across channels (e.g., Alpine IQ, SpringBig).
  
• POS & eCommerce – Handle transactions, inventory, and customer data while supporting online menus and orders (e.g., Flowhub, Dutchie).
  
• Analytics & Reporting – Track website performance with Google Analytics, and measure ad impact with MediaJel’s Revenue Attribution, which connects campaign spend to actual sales and ROI.
  
• Loyalty & SMS Platforms – Drive repeat business with automated SMS campaigns and loyalty programs (e.g., High Rewards, SpringBig).
  
• Budtender Training – Train staff on product knowledge, compliance, and customer experience to drive better in-store outcomes.

What technology tools do cannabis businesses need for marketing and sales?

A successful cannabis business requires a robust tech stack to manage marketing, sales, and compliance. The essential technology tools include:

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System: Tracks customer interactions, automates follow-ups, and helps personalize marketing. 

Website: Content Management System (CMS) – Manage your website content and SEO performance using cannabis-friendly CMS platforms that allow for fast updates, landing pages, and blog publishing. Popular options include, Wordpress, Webflow, and Shopify. 

Point of Sale (POS) System: Facilitates transactions while tracking inventory, customer history, and loyalty programs. Top dispensary POS systems include Dutchie and Flowhub.

Online Menu Integration: Platforms like Dutchie allow customers to browse products and place orders online.

Google Suite & Analytics: Essential for tracking website performance, SEO, and conversion data using Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, and Google Search Console.

Loyalty & Rewards Programs: Retain customers with integrated rewards systems like SpringBig and High Rewards.

Inventory & Compliance Software: Track inventory while ensuring compliance with tools like Metrc, BioTrack, and LeafLogix.

Social Media & Content Scheduling Tools: Plan and automate posts using Hootsuite, Buffer, or Sprout Social.

Customer Support: This platform provides tools for addressing customer inquiries and issues promptly, enhancing satisfaction and loyalty. In some cases, a CRM will include customer support features.

Marketing Automation Platform: Enables email campaigns, SMS marketing, and automated workflows. Look for dispensary-friendly platforms.

Programmatic Advertising Tools: Platforms such as MediaJel help run compliant digital ad campaigns.

HR Platform: Streamlines employee management, from hiring to payroll, ensuring compliance with labor laws and industry regulations.

Budtender Training Platform: Educates dispensary staff on product knowledge, customer service, and compliance, ensuring they provide informed recommendations to customers.

💡 Pro Tip: Always choose dispensary software that can scale with your business. As you expand, you’ll need deeper customer insights and more robust engagement strategies.

One of the most important considerations is compliance. Since cannabis is highly regulated, any CRM or marketing platform must support opt-in messaging, age-gated content, and geo-targeting to avoid marketing to underage users.

👉 Top 10 Cannatech Companies To Watch this year

From daily users to wellness-first microdosers, not all cannabis consumers behave—or buy—the same. Successful brands tailor their messaging, creative, and offers to meet each segment’s unique needs and motivations.

To truly connect, you need to go beyond broad demographics and tap into behavioral insights, preferences, and purchase patterns. That’s where segmentation, personalization, and first-party data come in.

• Key Demographics & Segments – Understand major consumer groups like wellness seekers, recreational users, medical patients, and connoisseurs.
  
• Personalization Across Channels – Adapt creative, tone, and offers for email, SMS, display, social, and in-store experiences.
  
• First-Party Data for Retargeting – Use compliant data to build high-converting retargeting audiences based on real customer behavior.
  

💡 Pro Tip: Not everyone who uses cannabis is your target customer. Learn how to find, build, and activate the segments that align best with your brand goals in our Cannabis Target Audience Academy.

Balancing paid and organic marketing in the cannabis industry requires a strategic allocation of resources. Paid ads provide immediate traffic, while organic marketing builds long-term brand authority and trust.

Since cannabis businesses can’t rely on traditional ad platforms like Google and Meta, they must get creative with compliant paid advertising while also investing in organic methods like SEO, content marketing, and social media engagement.

How to Allocate Your Cannabis Marketing Budget:

50-60% Organic Marketing (Long-Term Growth)

• SEO & Content Marketing
• Local SEO
• Social Media Marketing
• Email & SMS Marketing

40-50% Paid Advertising (Short-Term Traffic & Sales)

• Geo-Targeted Display Ads
• Programmatic Advertising: CTV, DOOH
• Sponsorships & Local Events
• Influencer Marketing

Balancing Paid & Organic for Maximum ROI:

• Use paid ads to drive immediate traffic to your website or in-store promotions.
• Optimize organic marketing so that once visitors land on your site, they engage and convert.
• Track performance metrics to allocate more budget toward high-ROI channels.

💡 Pro Tip: Paid marketing gets people in the door, but organic marketing keeps them coming back. The best dispensaries invest in both!

Social media goes beyond likes—it helps build trust, grow your community, and establish brand authority. Even if you’re not ready to post on every platform, it's smart to reserve handles on Instagram, X (Twitter), Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube. These platforms support community engagement, influencer partnerships, and, in some cases, compliant cannabis or CBD advertising.

Which platforms allow cannabis advertising?

• X (Twitter): Allows non-ingestible CBD and some cannabis ads with pre-approval.
  
• Meta (Facebook & Instagram): Becoming more CBD-friendly, but requires verification.
  
• Google: Permits topical CBD ads with LegitScript certification.
  
• MediaJel: Offers fully compliant cannabis, CBD, and hemp advertising across mainstream digital channels. Ask us how!

What are the best cannabis social media strategies to increase engagement?

1. Educational Content
2. Influencer Partnerships
3. Community Engagement
4. User-Generated Content

Learn everything you need to know about Cannabis Social Media Marketing here.

Explore related content for more insights:

• Navigating Twitter’s New Cannabis and CBD Advertising Policy
• Going Social: Should You Make a Dispensary TikTok Account?
• Instagram Fundamentals: Cannabis Hashtags to Use for Your Dispensary Posts
• Cannabis Business Social Networks: A Guide for Growing Your Social Media Strategy

Investing in paid advertising such as cannabis Google Ads and Bing Ads is a key strategy for driving traffic and increasing sales for your cannabis business.. 

Search Engine Advertising: Google, Bing & DuckDuckGo 

Yes, cannabis and CBD businesses can run Google Ads —with the right setup! Search ads help capture high-intent traffic from users actively looking for cannabis products or dispensaries near them. Use Responsive Search Ads with keywords like "dispensary near me" to appear in local search results.

Want broader reach? Performance Max campaigns run across YouTube, Gmail, Maps, and the Google Display Network (GDN), while Bing Ads and DuckDuckGo offer less competitive, lower-cost search ad options.‍

For comprehensive tips and strategies, explore our related content:

• Google Ads for Dispensaries
• Google Ads Tips
• Maximizing Google Ads with Machine Learning
• Dispensary Search Ads

Cannabis Programmatic Advertising

Programmatic advertising is a game-changing way to showcase your cannabis brand directly to your target audience! By automating the buying and selling of digital ad space, you can display your cannabis products on mainstream sites—think mainstream websites and apps ESPN, New York Times, and - dating apps, gaming platforms, news outlets, and meme sites. 

You can target your audiences where they spend time online, by specific demographics, behaviors, and even geo-locations, ensuring your ads reach the right people at the right time. 

Compliant Programmatic Channels for Cannabis

You can advertise compliantly across all of these channels.

• Display Ads: Banners and responsive ads across websites and apps

• Online Video (OLV) Ads: Video ads in-stream or within web content
• Connected TV (CTV) Ads: Streaming ads on smart TVs and OTT platforms
• Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) Ads: Digital billboards and transit displays

• Native Ads: Seamlessly integrated into content feeds and articles
• Audio Ads: Played on music platforms, podcasts, and smart speakers
• ‍Rich Media Ads: Interactive ads with engaging, expandable features

💡 Pro Tip: Unlock the full potential of cannabis ads with our Cannabis Programmatic Advertising Guide packed with strategies and tips to supercharge your digital marketing! 

Once you’re driving new traffic, the next step is turning one-time buyers into loyal advocates. Strategic loyalty and referral programs boost customer lifetime value (LTV) by rewarding repeat purchases, while review campaigns and referral incentives amplify word-of-mouth marketing. From points-based systems to VIP tiers and automated review requests, these tools build trust and drive long-term growth.

👉 Learn how to structure high-impact programs in our Customer Loyalty Academy and boost advocacy with our Word-of-Mouth Marketing Guide.

Not all business growth happens at the cash register. Attending cannabis events provides a valuable opportunity to make connections that could pay off down the road. At industry events, the focus shifts from immediate sales to building a network of trusted contacts and partners. 

Customer-focused events, where you can provide samples and make sales, allow you to directly engage with potential customers, offering them firsthand experience with your products, which can foster brand loyalty and drive immediate sales. 

Learn more about cannabis events here:

• Full Funnel Marketing: How to Marry your Cannabis Events with Your Digital Marketing Strategy
• How to Maximize In-Person Cannabis Expos and Events
• How to Host a Successful Cannabis Event

Before you invest more time or budget, take a step back and assess what’s really moving the needle. Use this 10-point checklist to identify gaps, uncover opportunities, and ensure your cannabis marketing efforts are driving results across every channel.

10 Qs to Audit Your Cannabis Marketing Strategy

• Are your tactics effective across channels?
• Do you track KPIs for your tactics?
• Are you adapting based on analytics and insights?
• Is your messaging personalized and engaging?
• Are you building strong customer relationships?
• Is your branding consistent everywhere?
• Are you focusing on high ROI ad tactics?
• Are you compliant and ethical?
• Are your loyalty programs and communications transparent?
• Are you continuously optimizing marketing campaigns for ROI and growth?

If you said “no” to any of these, your Cannabis Marketing Strategy has room to grow.