Colorado Cannabis Advertising Laws
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TL;DR
Colorado requires no general warning statement, but requires four specific warnings on any advertisement for Regulated Marijuana Concentrate. It requires at least 71.6 percent of the audience to be reasonably expected to be at least 21 for television, radio, print publication and internet advertising. It prohibits asserting that products are safe because they are state regulated or laboratory tested, prohibits unsolicited pop-up advertising, and prohibits outdoor signs within 500 feet of established and conspicuously identified elementary or secondary schools, places of worship or public playgrounds.
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Colorado Cannabis Advertising Summary
Is Cannabis Advertising Legal in Colorado?
Legal for medical and retail marijuana businesses. The 3-700 Series contains no pre-approval requirement. The constraints are the audience threshold at Rule 3-720, the concentrate warnings at 3-705(B), the content prohibitions at 3-705(A), 3-715(B), 3-725, 3-730 and 3-740, the pop-up prohibition at 3-750, the location-based device rule at 3-745, and the outdoor placement rules at 3-735.
Legal Framework and Compliance Basics
Advertising is governed by the 3-700 Series of the Colorado Marijuana Rules at 1 CCR 212-3, administered by the Marijuana Enforcement Division within the Department of Revenue, acting as the State Licensing Authority. The constitutional basis is Article XVIII, Sections 14 and 16 of the Colorado Constitution, and the statute is the Colorado Marijuana Code at Title 44, Article 10.
The 3-700 Series comprises eleven rules running from 3-705 to 3-755. The definition of Advertising sits separately at Rule 1-115.
Medical and retail marijuana share one advertising rule set, with differences written into individual provisions rather than into a separate chapter.
Currency. The current version of 1 CCR 212-3 took effect January 5, 2026, adopted November 5, 2025 and published in the Colorado Register on December 10, 2025, in response to HB 25-1209 and SB 24-076. Earlier copies of these rules set the medical thresholds at 18 rather than 21. Check the effective date on any copy before relying on it.
This page is part of our state-by-state cannabis advertising laws library, covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Advertising Rules by Channel in Colorado
Requirements That Apply to Every Channel
The definition of Advertising
Under Rule 1-115, Advertising means providing consideration for the publication, dissemination, solicitation, or circulation of communication to directly induce any Person to patronize a particular Regulated Marijuana Business or purchase particular Regulated Marijuana. It does not include packaging and labelling, Consumer Education Materials, or Branding.
Consumer Education Materials fall outside the definition provided they are not distributed or made available to individuals under 21. Branding is separately governed by Rule 3-715, which covers taglines whether or not trademarked and prohibits using Branding to target individuals under 21.
Business name and licence number
Not required. The 3-700 Series contains no requirement to display a licence number in advertising.
The required warning statements
No general warning statement. Under Rule 3-705(B), a Regulated Marijuana Business advertising Regulated Marijuana Concentrate must include a notice, as determined by the Division, regarding the potential risks of concentrate overconsumption. Rule 3-705(B) does not contain the text. The Division supplied it in Industry Bulletin 22-06, effective January 1, 2022, requiring these four statements:
- Psychotic symptoms and/or Psychotic disorder (delusions, hallucinations, or difficulty distinguishing reality)
- Mental Health Symptoms/Problems
- Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) (uncontrolled and repetitive vomiting)
- Cannabis use disorder / dependence, including physical and psychological dependence
How the warnings have to appear
All four must be clear and conspicuous. Bulletin 22-06 states that concentrate advertising without all four is a violation of Rule 3-705(B), that the Division observed print advertisements in newspapers and magazines failing to meet the requirement, and that non-compliant advertisements are subject to enforcement action. The rule prescribes no type size, colour or percentage of the advertising area.
When the warnings are not required
Where the advertisement does not concern Regulated Marijuana Concentrate. The 3-700 Series contains no general warning requirement to disapply.
Hotline number
No. Colorado requires no helpline, hotline or poison control number.
Prohibited content
- No Advertising that is deceptive, false or misleading, and no deceptive, false or misleading assertions on any product, any sign, or any document provided to a patient or consumer — Rule 3-705(A)
- No content in any form of Advertising or signage that specifically targets individuals under 21, including but not limited to cartoon characters or similar images — Rule 3-740
- No use of Branding to target individuals under 21 — Rule 3-715(B)
- No Advertising or signage asserting that products are safe because they are regulated by the State Licensing Authority — Rule 3-725
- No Advertising or signage asserting that products are safe because they are tested by a Regulated Marijuana Testing Facility — Rule 3-730
- No unsolicited pop-up Advertising on the internet — Rule 3-750
Note that the second limb of Rule 3-705(A) reaches any product, sign or document provided to a patient or consumer, and is not conditioned on consideration being provided.
Discounts, coupons, and price promotion
The 3-700 Series contains no price advertising restriction and no coupon or discount prohibition. A Retail Marijuana Store may not give away Retail Marijuana to a consumer for any reason, and a Licensed Hospitality Business may not give away marijuana to a consumer for any reason.
Colorado Display Advertising Laws
Colorado writes no display-specific rule. Internet advertising is named in Rule 3-720, so the audience threshold applies.
What is allowed
Paid display, including programmatic, where at least 71.6 percent of the audience is reasonably expected to be at least 21, under Rule 3-720.
What is not allowed
- Internet advertising where less than 71.6 percent of the audience is reasonably expected to be at least 21 — Rule 3-720
- Unsolicited pop-up advertising on the internet — Rule 3-750
- Asserting products are safe because they are regulated by the State Licensing Authority or tested by a Regulated Marijuana Testing Facility — Rules 3-725 and 3-730
- Content that specifically targets individuals under 21, including cartoon characters — Rule 3-740
- Deceptive, false or misleading advertising — Rule 3-705(A)
Required warnings and disclosures
None generally. All four Division warning statements where the creative advertises Regulated Marijuana Concentrate, under Rule 3-705(B). No licence number. See Requirements That Apply to Every Channel above.
Hotline number required
No.
Discounts and promotions on this channel
Price discounting permitted. Giving away Retail Marijuana to a consumer is prohibited.
Closing note
Rule 3-705(B) requires all four statements to be clear and conspicuous, and Bulletin 22-06 records that the Division has observed non-compliant print advertising and that such advertising is subject to enforcement action. Size concentrate creative to carry all four before production. Under Rule 3-745, compliance must sign off on how mobile display inventory is bought before launch.
Colorado Native Advertising Laws
Colorado writes no native-specific rule. Paid native involves providing consideration for publication and falls within the definition of Advertising at Rule 1-115.
What is allowed
Native and sponsored content where the 71.6 percent threshold at Rule 3-720 is met.
What is not allowed
- Asserting products are safe because they are regulated by the State Licensing Authority — Rule 3-725
- Asserting products are safe because they are tested by a Regulated Marijuana Testing Facility — Rule 3-730
- Internet advertising below the 71.6 percent threshold — Rule 3-720
- Deceptive, false or misleading advertising — Rule 3-705(A)
- Content that specifically targets individuals under 21 — Rule 3-740
Required warnings and disclosures
None generally. All four concentrate warnings where concentrate is advertised, under Rule 3-705(B). See Requirements That Apply to Every Channel above.
Hotline number required
No.
Discounts and promotions on this channel
Price discounting permitted. Free product prohibited.
Closing note
Rules 3-725 and 3-730 prohibit safety assertions based on state regulation and on laboratory testing respectively. Both are separate prohibitions and both reach signage as well as advertising.
Colorado Online Video (OLV) Advertising Laws
Colorado writes no video-specific rule. Internet advertising is named in Rule 3-720.
What is allowed
Pre-roll, mid-roll and in-feed video where the 71.6 percent threshold is met.
What is not allowed
- Content that specifically targets individuals under 21, including but not limited to cartoon characters or similar images — Rule 3-740
- Internet advertising below the 71.6 percent threshold — Rule 3-720
- Safety assertions based on regulation or testing — Rules 3-725 and 3-730
- Deceptive, false or misleading advertising — Rule 3-705(A)
Required warnings and disclosures
None generally. All four concentrate warnings where concentrate is advertised, clear and conspicuous under Rule 3-705(B). The rule prescribes no on-screen duration. See Requirements That Apply to Every Channel above.
Hotline number required
No.
Discounts and promotions on this channel
Price discounting permitted. Free product prohibited.
Closing note
The 3-700 Series contains no prohibition on depicting consumption of marijuana.
Colorado Connected TV (CTV) Advertising Laws
Rule 3-720 names both television and the internet, and applies the same threshold to each.
What is allowed
CTV and OTT placements where at least 71.6 percent of the audience is reasonably expected to be at least 21. The 3-700 Series imposes no daypart restriction.
What is not allowed
- Television or internet advertising below the 71.6 percent threshold — Rule 3-720
- Content that specifically targets individuals under 21 — Rule 3-740
- Safety assertions based on regulation or testing — Rules 3-725 and 3-730
- Deceptive, false or misleading advertising — Rule 3-705(A)
Required warnings and disclosures
None generally. All four concentrate warnings where concentrate is advertised, under Rule 3-705(B).
Hotline number required
No.
Discounts and promotions on this channel
Price discounting permitted. Free product prohibited.
Closing note
The basis and purpose statement to Rule 3-720 records the origin of the figure: voluntary alcohol industry standards direct advertisers to refrain from advertising where more than 28.4 percent of the audience is expected to be under the legal purchase age. The rule adopts 71.6 percent as the corresponding adult floor.
Colorado Paid Search Advertising Laws
Colorado writes no rule specific to paid search. Search advertising is internet advertising and is subject to Rule 3-720.
What is allowed
Search advertising where the 71.6 percent threshold is met. Rule 3-750 prohibits unsolicited pop-up advertising.
What is not allowed
- Internet advertising below the 71.6 percent threshold — Rule 3-720
- Unsolicited pop-up advertising — Rule 3-750
- The content prohibitions at Rules 3-705(A), 3-725, 3-730 and 3-740
Required warnings and disclosures
None generally, and no licence number. All four concentrate warnings where concentrate is advertised, under Rule 3-705(B).
Hotline number required
No.
Discounts and promotions on this channel
Price discounting permitted. Free product prohibited.
Colorado SEO and Website Advertising Laws
The 3-700 Series contains no website age gate requirement. Rule 3-705(A) reaches any document provided to a patient or consumer, and Rules 3-725, 3-730 and 3-740 reach signage, neither of which is conditioned on consideration.
What is allowed
A licensee's own website, menus and organic content. The 3-700 Series contains no prohibition on publishing potency figures.
What is not allowed
- Deceptive, false or misleading assertions on any product, sign or document provided to a patient or consumer — Rule 3-705(A)
- Safety assertions based on regulation or testing, which reach signage as well as advertising — Rules 3-725 and 3-730
- Content in any form of advertising or signage that specifically targets individuals under 21 — Rule 3-740
- Use of Branding to target individuals under 21 — Rule 3-715(B)
Required warnings and disclosures
None generally. Concentrate content carries all four warnings under Rule 3-705(B).
Hotline number required
No.
Discounts and promotions on this channel
Price discounting permitted on menus and product pages. Giving away Retail Marijuana to a consumer is prohibited.
Closing note
Rule 1-115 defines Advertising as requiring consideration for publication, dissemination, solicitation or circulation. The 3-700 Series does not state whether a licensee's own website falls within that definition, and the Division has published no guidance on the point. Rules 3-705(A), 3-715, 3-725, 3-730 and 3-740 apply to products, signs, documents and Branding independently of the definition. Consumer Education Materials fall outside the definition only where not distributed or made available to individuals under 21.
Colorado Out of Home and DOOH Advertising Laws
Rule 3-735 sets three separate requirements for outdoor placement: a buffer, compliance with the Colorado Outdoor Advertising Act, and compliance with applicable local ordinances.
What is allowed
Billboards and other outdoor placements outside the buffer at Rule 3-735(C). The 3-700 Series contains no outdoor advertising prohibition, and Rule 3-720 names television, radio, print publication and internet.
What is not allowed
- Advertising on any outdoor sign within 500 feet of established and conspicuously identified elementary or secondary schools, places of worship, or public playgrounds — Rule 3-735(C)
- Advertising that does not comply with the Colorado Outdoor Advertising Act at C.R.S. §§43-1-401 to 43-1-420 — Rule 3-735(B)
- Advertising that does not comply with applicable local ordinances regulating signs and advertising — Rule 3-735(A)
- The content prohibitions at Rules 3-705(A), 3-725, 3-730 and 3-740
Required warnings and disclosures
None generally. All four concentrate warnings where concentrate is advertised. Rule 3-705(B) prescribes no billboard-specific type size.
Hotline number required
No.
Discounts and promotions on this channel
Price discounting permitted. Free product prohibited.
Closing note
Rule 3-735(A) makes applicable local ordinances regulating signs and advertising binding. Check the ordinance for every jurisdiction in the buy before booking, since the state rule operates alongside local requirements rather than in place of them.
Platform Specific Advertising Restrictions
X (formerly Twitter)
Permits limited paid cannabis advertising in select U.S. jurisdictions subject to approval, licensing verification and 21-plus targeting.
Platform approval is not regulatory approval, and platform compliance does not protect against a state placement violation. Rule 3-750 prohibits unsolicited pop-up advertising on the internet. Rule 3-745 prohibits marketing directed towards location-based devices outside the installed-application exception. Rule 3-715(B) applies to Branding regardless of whether consideration is provided for publication.
Audience Requirements for Cannabis Advertising in Colorado
What the Law Requires
The advertising threshold at Rule 3-720 uses 21 for both medical and retail businesses. Under Rule 3-710, minor means an individual under 18 for Medical Marijuana and under 21 for Retail Marijuana.
Rule 3-720(A) additionally provides that a Medical Marijuana Business is prohibited from specifically directing Advertising and marketing to persons under 21. The retail provision does not restate that duty. The provision derives from HB 21-1317.
Audience Percentage Thresholds
71.6 percent, as a floor on the adult share
Under Rule 3-720, a Medical Marijuana Business and a Retail Marijuana Business may each Advertise in television, radio, a print publication, or via the internet only where at least 71.6 percent of the audience is reasonably expected to be at least 21 years of age.
71.6 percent for event advertising
Under Rule 3-755, a business may sponsor a charitable, sports or similar event, but shall not engage in Advertising at or in connection with the event unless it has reliable evidence that 71.6 percent of the audience at the event and/or viewing Advertising in connection with it is reasonably expected to be at least 21. The sponsorship itself is not conditioned on a figure; the advertising is.
Where the figure comes from
The basis and purpose statement to Rule 3-720 records that alcohol industry voluntary standards direct advertisers to refrain from advertising where more than 28.4 percent of the audience is expected to be under the legal purchase age.
Which media the threshold reaches
Television, radio, print publication and the internet. Rule 3-720 does not name out of home or direct mail.
Where the burden sits
On the licensee. Rule 3-720 is framed as a condition on the business advertising. Rule 3-755 requires reliable evidence for event advertising.
Age Gating and Consent
Websites
The 3-700 Series prescribes no website age gate.
Direct communication
The 3-700 Series contains no age affirmation requirement for direct or individualized communication.
Location-based devices
Under Rule 3-745, marketing directed towards location-based devices, including cellular phones, is prohibited unless the marketing is a mobile device application installed on the device by the owner of the device who is 21 years of age or older for Retail Marijuana, and the application includes a permanent and easy opt-out feature.
Rule 3-745 does not define "directed towards" and does not address marketing sent to a mobile number outside an installed application.
Consumer Education Materials
Under Rule 1-115, Consumer Education Materials fall outside the definition of Advertising provided they are not distributed or made available to individuals under 21.
Established customers
The 3-700 Series contains no exception removing communications to existing customers or opted-in recipients from the definition of Advertising.
People Depicted in Ads
Under Rule 3-740, no content in any form of Advertising or signage that specifically targets individuals under 21, including but not limited to cartoon characters or similar images. Under Rule 3-715(B), Branding, which includes taglines whether or not trademarked, may not be used to target individuals under 21.
The 3-700 Series sets no minimum age for persons appearing in advertising and contains no prohibition on depicting consumption.
Geo Targeting Rules for Cannabis Advertising in Colorado
Restricted Locations and Buffer Distances
The 500 foot buffer
Under Rule 3-735(C), a Regulated Marijuana Business shall not Advertise on any outdoor sign within 500 feet of established and conspicuously identified elementary or secondary schools, places of worship, or public playgrounds.
What it applies to
Outdoor signs. Rule 3-735(C) is written for outdoor signage and is not limited to third-party billboards.
Facility types named
Three: elementary or secondary schools, places of worship, and public playgrounds. Rule 3-735(C) names no daycare or childcare facility, public park, library, youth centre, or treatment facility.
The "established and conspicuously identified" qualifier
Rule 3-735(C) applies to schools, places of worship and public playgrounds that are established and conspicuously identified. The rule does not define either term.
Public property and transit
The 3-700 Series contains no prohibition on advertising on publicly owned or operated property, and none on transit vehicles or shelters.
Local Ordinances
Under Rule 3-735(A), a Regulated Marijuana Business that engages in any Advertising shall comply with any applicable local ordinances regulating signs and Advertising. Under Rule 3-735(B), it shall comply with all applicable state laws, including the Colorado Outdoor Advertising Act at C.R.S. §§43-1-401 to 43-1-420.
Can You Run a Digital Out of Home Screen in Colorado?
Rule 3-735(C) prohibits advertising on any outdoor sign within 500 feet of an established and conspicuously identified elementary or secondary school, place of worship, or public playground. Rule 3-735(B) requires compliance with the Colorado Outdoor Advertising Act. Rule 3-735(A) requires compliance with applicable local ordinances regulating signs and advertising.
Premises Signage and the Buffer
Rule 3-735(C) applies to any outdoor sign. The 3-700 Series contains no exception for signage at the licensee's own premises and no interior signage exception.
Separately, a Retail Marijuana Store may not display Retail Marijuana outside a designated Restricted Access Area or in a manner where it can be seen from outside the Licensed Premises.
Compliant Use of Geotargeting
- Build 500 foot exclusions around established and conspicuously identified elementary and secondary schools, places of worship, and public playgrounds, and apply them to outdoor signage, under Rule 3-735(C).
- Rule 3-735(C) names three facility types. It does not name daycare, parks, libraries, youth centres or treatment facilities.
- Check the local ordinance for every jurisdiction in an out of home buy, under Rule 3-735(A), and the Colorado Outdoor Advertising Act under 3-735(B).
- For television, radio, print publication and internet, the operative constraint is audience composition at 71.6 percent expected to be at least 21, under Rule 3-720.
- Hold reliable evidence for event advertising, which Rule 3-755 requires in those terms.
- Have compliance sign off on how mobile display inventory is bought before launch, under Rule 3-745.
Need Help Running Compliant Campaigns in Colorado?
Knowing the rules is step one. Building campaigns that stay inside them and still produce sales is the harder part. MediaJel runs compliant programmatic, CTV, paid search, paid social, and SEO for Colorado dispensaries, brands, and MSOs, and ties every campaign to real online and in-store transactions through DataJel.
What Are the Recreational and Medical Marijuana Rules in Colorado?
One advertising rule set. The 3-700 Series generally addresses the Regulated Marijuana Business, covering both medical and retail.
Three provisions distinguish them. Rule 3-720(A) applies the 71.6 percent threshold to medical businesses and adds that a Medical Marijuana Business is prohibited from specifically directing Advertising and marketing to persons under 21. Rule 3-710 defines a minor as under 18 for Medical Marijuana and under 21 for Retail Marijuana. Rule 3-755 states the event sponsorship rule separately for each licence type.
The free product prohibitions are written per licence type: a Retail Marijuana Store may not give away Retail Marijuana to a consumer for any reason, and a Licensed Hospitality Business may not give away marijuana to a consumer for any reason.
What Are the Hemp and CBD Rules in Colorado?
Who regulates hemp here
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, under Senate Bill 23-271, signed June 2023 and codified at C.R.S. §25-5-427, with implementing rules at 6 CCR 1010-24. The Act created three classes of cannabinoid: non-intoxicating, potentially intoxicating, and intoxicating.
Non-intoxicating hemp and CBD
Permitted outside the marijuana channel. A non-intoxicating hemp product regulated by the Department of Public Health and Environment is not Regulated Marijuana, so the 3-700 Series does not apply to it. SB 23-271 defines a hemp product in part by a ceiling of 1.75 milligrams of THC per serving and a CBD to THC ratio of at least fifteen to one.
Intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids
Products containing potentially intoxicating compounds or intoxicating cannabinoids may only be produced, distributed or sold by a person licensed by the Marijuana Enforcement Division. The three-class structure followed the Intoxicating Hemp Products Task Force created by SB 22-205, which also gave the Department authority over chemical modification of hemp-derived cannabinoids. The Division and the Department issued guidance prohibiting chemical modification of hemp cannabinoids into delta-8 THC. Penalties run to $10,000 per violation. The federal definition of hemp narrows in November 2026.
What it means for advertising
An intoxicating cannabinoid product may only be sold by an MED licensee, so advertising it is advertising by a Regulated Marijuana Business and the 3-700 Series applies in full: the 71.6 percent threshold at Rule 3-720, the content prohibitions, the outdoor buffer at 3-735(C), the pop-up prohibition at 3-750, the location-based device rule at 3-745, and the four concentrate warnings at 3-705(B) where the product is a concentrate. A non-intoxicating hemp product is regulated by the Department of Public Health and Environment and is outside the 3-700 Series.
Colorado Legislation and Source Regulations
Every statement on this page traces to one of the following:
- 1 CCR 212-3, Colorado Marijuana Rules, current version effective January 5, 2026, the official publication of state administrative rules under C.R.S. §24-4-103(11)
- Code of Colorado Regulations eDocket 2025-00358, the rulemaking adopting the current version in response to HB 25-1209 and SB 24-076
- Marijuana Enforcement Division Industry-Wide Bulletin 22-06, Advertising of Regulated Marijuana Concentrate, October 21, 2022
- HB 21-1317, Regulating Marijuana Concentrates, Colorado General Assembly
- C.R.S. §§43-1-401 to 43-1-420, Colorado Outdoor Advertising Act
- Senate Bill 23-271 as signed, creating the three cannabinoid classes and the hemp products framework
- Marijuana Enforcement Division, SB 23-271 Feasibility Study
Disclaimer
Please note that we are not legal professionals, and the information provided in this article should not be interpreted as legal advice. Cannabis laws and regulations are subject to frequent changes and vary by state and locality. We strongly recommend consulting with qualified legal counsel to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. For the most up-to-date guidance on state-specific marketing rules, please reach out to the MediaJel team directly.
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