Washington Cannabis Advertising Laws
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Talk to usYou can legally advertise on these cannabis marketing channels
Each channel has its own rules in this state. Pick one to jump straight to what is allowed.
TL;DR
Washington requires four warnings on all advertising except outdoor, each in type size at least ten percent of the largest type used. Retailers may display four signs of no more than 1,600 square inches each, plus billboards and up to two trade name signs, and all outdoor text is limited to the trade name, the location, and the type or nature of the business. The content list prohibits portraying alcohol, tobacco or nicotine, and any association with a motor vehicle.
Working with a partner that already knows these rules shortens the launch cycle. See how we run campaigns as a cannabis marketing agency in Washington.
Washington Cannabis Advertising Summary
Is Cannabis Advertising Legal in Washington?
Legal for licensees. WAC 314-55-155 contains no pre-approval requirement and no audience threshold. The constraints are the four warnings at (7), the content list at (2)(a), the 1,000 foot buffer at (2)(b)(i), the transit and venue prohibitions, and the signage regime at (3) and (4).
Legal Framework and Compliance Basics
Washington legalised adult-use cannabis through Initiative 502 in 2012 and was one of the first two states to open a regulated market. The regulator is the Liquor and Cannabis Board. Advertising sits in statute at RCW 69.50.369 and in rule at WAC 314-55-155, which opens by stating that its provisions apply in addition to the statutory requirements, so both layers operate together.
The rule counts signs, measures them in square inches, specifies what text may appear on them, defines what counts as a depiction of a cannabis plant, and provides that a double-sided sign counts as one sign.
Medical and adult-use cannabis share one advertising rule set. Washington integrated medical cannabis into the adult-use system, and retailers may hold a medical cannabis endorsement.
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 Washington
Requirements That Apply to Every Channel
Business name and licence number
No licence number required. Trade name signs may include only the business trade name as it appears on the approved retailer licence.
The required warning statements
Under 314-55-155(7), except for outdoor advertising, all advertising must contain the following four warnings:
- "This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming."
- "Cannabis can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug."
- "There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product."
- "For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of the reach of children."
The separate age statement
Under (2)(c), all advertising for cannabis businesses or cannabis products, regardless of medium, except for trade name signs, must contain text clearly visible during business hours stating that cannabis products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 years of age or older. The rule gives examples: "21+" or "for use by persons 21 and over only."
How the warnings have to appear
Each of the four must be in type size at least ten percent of the largest type used in the advertisement. The requirement is expressed as a ratio to the largest type in the advertisement rather than as a percentage of the advertising area.
When the warnings are not required
The four warnings at (7) do not apply to outdoor advertising. The 21-plus statement at (2)(c) does not apply to trade name signs. Under (3)(e), signs of less than 512 square inches are not considered advertising if they include no brand names, trade names, or images of any cannabis product, and indicate only information such as hours of operation, whether the business is open or closed, the presence of an ATM, the word "welcome," required signs or notices, community notices, or similar informational signs not related to the products or services of the business. Adopt-a-Highway signs erected by the Washington State Department of Transportation under a valid sponsorship are also not advertising.
Hotline number
Not required.
Prohibited content
Under (2)(a), all cannabis advertising, trade name signs, billboards, and labels must not contain any statement or illustration that:
- Is false or misleading
- Promotes over consumption
- Portrays alcohol or its use
- Portrays tobacco or nicotine or its use
- Portrays any association with a motor vehicle or operation of a motor vehicle
- Mimics or resembles logos or messaging from the LCB or other state agencies without approval
- Represents that the use of cannabis has curative or therapeutic effects
- Depicts a child or other person under legal age consuming cannabis, or includes objects such as toys, inflatables, movie characters, or cartoon characters suggesting the presence of a child, or any other depiction designed to be likely to be appealing to youth, or is designed in any manner that would be especially appealing to children or other persons under 21
No out-of-state targeting
Under (2)(d), a cannabis licensee may not engage in advertising or marketing that specifically targets persons residing out of the state of Washington.
No advertising in liquor, vape, or tobacco businesses
Under (2)(e), any cannabis-related advertising in any business licensed or permitted by the Board under Title 66 RCW, or chapters 70.345, 82.24 or 82.26 RCW, is prohibited. That covers liquor licensees, vapour product retailers and tobacco businesses.
Commercial mascots
Under (3)(b), no cannabis licensee may use or employ a commercial mascot outside of, and in proximity to, a licensed cannabis business.
Discounts, coupons, and price promotion
Permitted with conditions. Coupons may not discount the price of a product below the retailer's acquisition cost. A giveaway does not include representative samples of edible products and topicals that are not infused with cannabis and are offered on licensed premises for sampling. Under (6), retailers holding a medical cannabis endorsement may donate or provide free products only to qualifying patients or designated providers holding a valid recognition card, may only advertise free or donated products identified as compliant under chapter 246-70 WAC and tested to those standards, and may only advertise free or donated products to qualifying patients.
Pre-approval
Not required.
Washington Display Advertising Laws
The buffer at (2)(b)(i) reaches advertising in any form or through any medium whatsoever.
What is allowed
Paid display, including programmatic. WAC 314-55-155 sets no audience composition requirement.
What is not allowed
- Delivery within 1,000 feet of the perimeter of the seven listed location types — (2)(b)(i)
- Advertising or marketing that specifically targets persons residing out of state — (2)(d)
- Portraying alcohol, tobacco or nicotine, or any association with a motor vehicle — (2)(a)
- Representing that the use of cannabis has curative or therapeutic effects — (2)(a)
Required warnings and disclosures
All four warnings at ten percent of the largest type used, plus the 21-plus statement. See Requirements That Apply to Every Channel above.
Hotline number required
No.
Discounts and promotions on this channel
Permitted, subject to the below-cost coupon restriction.
Closing note
The ten percent requirement is a ratio to the largest type used in the advertisement, so the size of the warning block scales with the headline treatment rather than with the unit dimensions.
Washington Native Advertising Laws
The therapeutic claims prohibition at (2)(a) states no substantiation route.
What is allowed
Native and sponsored content carrying the four warnings and the 21-plus statement.
What is not allowed
- Representing that the use of cannabis has curative or therapeutic effects — (2)(a)
- False or misleading statements — (2)(a)
- The remaining content prohibitions at (2)(a)
Required warnings and disclosures
All four warnings at ten percent of the largest type, plus the 21-plus statement. Federal Trade Commission disclosure expectations for sponsored content apply independently.
Hotline number required
No.
Discounts and promotions on this channel
Permitted, subject to the below-cost restriction.
Washington Online Video (OLV) Advertising Laws
Three contextual prohibitions at (2)(a) bear directly on location footage.
What is allowed
Pre-roll, mid-roll and in-feed video. WAC 314-55-155 prohibits depicting a child or person under legal age consuming cannabis, and states no prohibition on depicting adult consumption.
What is not allowed
- Portraying alcohol or its use — (2)(a)
- Portraying tobacco or nicotine or its use — (2)(a)
- Portraying any association with a motor vehicle or operation of a motor vehicle — (2)(a)
- Depicting a child or other person under legal age consuming cannabis, or objects suggesting the presence of a child — (2)(a)
Required warnings and disclosures
All four warnings at ten percent of the largest type used, plus the 21-plus statement clearly visible.
Hotline number required
No.
Discounts and promotions on this channel
Permitted, subject to the below-cost restriction.
Closing note
The prohibition at (2)(a) covers "any association with a motor vehicle or operation of a motor vehicle," which is broader than an impaired driving message. Review location footage for vehicles before delivery.
Washington Connected TV (CTV) Advertising Laws
WAC 314-55-155 sets no audience threshold and imposes no channel prohibition on broadcast or streaming.
What is allowed
CTV and OTT placements carrying the four warnings and the 21-plus statement.
What is not allowed
- Advertising or marketing that specifically targets persons residing out of state — (2)(d)
- Delivery within the 1,000 foot buffer — (2)(b)(i)
- The content list at (2)(a)
Required warnings and disclosures
All four warnings at ten percent of the largest type, plus the 21-plus statement.
Hotline number required
No.
Discounts and promotions on this channel
Permitted, subject to the below-cost restriction.
Closing note
Subsection (2)(d) prohibits advertising or marketing that specifically targets persons residing out of state. A Seattle or Vancouver buy delivers into Oregon and Idaho, each of which applies its own rules. Build the geo against (2)(d) before committing spend.
Washington Paid Search Advertising Laws
The four warnings apply without exemption for character-limited formats.
What is allowed
Search advertising under state law.
What is not allowed
- Targeting persons residing out of state — (2)(d)
- The content list at (2)(a)
Required warnings and disclosures
All four warnings at ten percent of the largest type used, plus the 21-plus statement. WAC 314-55-155 provides no exemption for character-limited formats.
Hotline number required
No.
Discounts and promotions on this channel
Permitted, subject to the below-cost restriction.
Washington SEO and Website Advertising Laws
A website address is expressly permitted content for stating the location of the business on outdoor signage.
What is allowed
A licensee's own website, menus and organic content. WAC 314-55-155 prescribes no website age gate.
What is not allowed
- Representing that the use of cannabis has curative or therapeutic effects, which reaches strain and product descriptions written in terms of effects on conditions — (2)(a)
- The remaining content prohibitions at (2)(a)
Required warnings and disclosures
All four warnings at ten percent of the largest type used on advertising content, plus the 21-plus statement.
Hotline number required
No.
Discounts and promotions on this channel
Permitted on menus and product pages, subject to the below-cost coupon restriction. Under (6), free or donated product may only be advertised to qualifying patients, and only for products identified as compliant and tested under chapter 246-70 WAC.
Closing note
Outdoor signage may carry only the trade name, location and nature of the business under (3)(a)(ii), and a website address is expressly permitted as a means of stating the location. The four warnings apply to website advertising content, which outdoor signage is exempt from.
Washington Out of Home and DOOH Advertising Laws
The signage regime is counted and measured, and the text limit applies to billboards as well as premises signs.
What is allowed
Under (3)(a), licensed retailers may display four separate signs, each not exceeding 1,600 square inches, affixed to the building or hanging in the window of the licensed location, on the side of the building with the main entrance. The 1,600 square inch limit refers to the physical sign measured by its physical perimeter, not its text. Double-sided signs, or signs with text visible on opposite sides, count as a single sign provided the sign is contained in or affixed to a single structure.
Under (4), in addition to those four signs, licensed businesses may use billboards and up to two trade name signs as described in RCW 69.50.369. Size limitations for trade name signs and billboards are regulated and enforced by the city, town, county, or tribe in which the business is located. A second trade name sign may be double-sided, such as a pylon or monolith sign, with identical content on each side, and counts as one sign.
What is not allowed
- Outdoor text beyond that which identifies the retail outlet by the licensee's trade name, states the location of the business, and identifies the type or nature of the business — (3)(a)(ii). Stating the location may include the physical address, directional information, website address, email address, or phone number. Identifying the nature of the business may include information about the operation of the business, what it is engaged in, or the goods it offers for sale.
- Depictions of cannabis plants or cannabis products on any outdoor advertising sign, including billboards and trade name signs — (3)(a)(iii). A depiction of a cannabis plant means an image or visual representation of a cannabis leaf, plant, or likeness that explicitly suggests or represents a cannabis leaf or plant. A depiction of a cannabis product means an image of useable cannabis, cannabis-infused products, or concentrates, or an image that indicates the presence of a product, such as smoke.
- Advertising within 1,000 feet of the perimeter of the seven listed location types — (2)(b)(i)
- Advertising on or in a private vehicle, public transit vehicle, public transit shelter, bus stop, taxi stand, transportation waiting area, train station, airport, or similar transit-related location — (2)(b)(ii)
- Outdoor advertising on signs and placards in arenas, stadiums, shopping malls, fairs that receive state allocations, farmers markets, and video game arcades, open air or enclosed, excluding adult only facilities — (3)(c)
Required warnings and disclosures
The four warnings do not apply to outdoor advertising. The 21-plus statement does apply, except on trade name signs.
Hotline number required
No.
Discounts and promotions on this channel
Not available, since outdoor text is limited to name, location and nature of business.
Closing note
Two mechanics repay attention. Any advertising sign clearly visible to the public from the public right-of-way, whether on the building or through a window, counts toward the four. Advertising or merchandising inside a retail location that is not placed on the inside surface of a window facing outward, or that is not fully and clearly visible from the right-of-way, is not outdoor advertising; "clearly visible" means capable of being seen without obstruction by a person standing or travelling on a public right-of-way. Separately, under (3)(d), the restrictions do not apply to outdoor advertisements at the site of an event held at an adult only facility, placed no more than 14 days before the event, advertising no cannabis product other than by brand name, and not visible from outside the facility.
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 violation. Two Washington provisions apply to digital buying. Under (2)(d), a licensee may not engage in advertising or marketing that specifically targets persons residing out of state. And the four warnings at (7) apply to social and digital placements, at a type size of at least ten percent of the largest type used.
Audience Requirements for Cannabis Advertising in Washington
What the Law Requires
Twenty-one throughout. Under (2)(c), advertising must carry a clearly visible statement that cannabis products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 or older. Under (2)(a), no depiction of a child or person under legal age consuming cannabis, no objects suggesting the presence of a child, and nothing designed in a manner especially appealing to persons under 21.
Audience Percentage Thresholds
WAC 314-55-155 sets no audience composition percentage. This is an absence in the rule rather than an omission from this page. Other states do set one: Connecticut requires reliable evidence that at least 90 percent of the audience is 21 or older, and Delaware requires at least 85 percent.
What the rule uses instead
Placement and disclosure. The 1,000 foot buffer at (2)(b)(i) reaches any medium, transit is closed at (2)(b)(ii), named venue types are closed at (3)(c), and every advertisement carries the 21-plus statement under (2)(c).
Event sponsorship
WAC 314-55-155 sets no audience threshold specific to event sponsorship. Under (3)(d), outdoor advertisements at the site of an event held at an adult only facility are excepted from the restrictions on stated conditions.
Where the burden sits
On the licensee. The prohibitions at (2) and (3) attach to the cannabis licensee.
Age Gating and Consent
Websites
WAC 314-55-155 prescribes no website age gate and no age verification requirement.
Direct communication
WAC 314-55-155 contains no age affirmation requirement for direct or individualized communication.
Location-based devices
WAC 314-55-155 contains no location-based device provision.
Established customers
WAC 314-55-155 contains no exception removing communications to existing customers from the restrictions. Under (6), free or donated product may only be advertised to qualifying patients.
People Depicted in Ads
Under (2)(a), no depiction of a child or other person under legal age consuming cannabis, and no objects such as toys, inflatables, movie characters, or cartoon characters suggesting the presence of a child. WAC 314-55-155 sets no minimum age for persons appearing in advertising and states no prohibition on depicting adult consumption.
Three prohibitions at (2)(a) operate on context rather than on people: no portrayal of alcohol or its use, no portrayal of tobacco or nicotine or its use, and no portrayal of any association with a motor vehicle or operation of a motor vehicle.
Geo Targeting Rules for Cannabis Advertising in Washington
Restricted Locations and Buffer Distances
The 1,000 foot buffer
Under (2)(b)(i), no advertisement of a cannabis business or cannabis product in any form or through any medium whatsoever within 1,000 feet of the perimeter of school grounds, a playground, a recreation centre or facility, a child care centre, a public park, a library, or a game arcade to which admission is not restricted to persons aged 21 or older.
The local reduction provision
The buffer applies unless the 1,000 foot minimum distance requirement has been reduced by ordinance in the local jurisdiction where the licensed retailer is located, and the licensed retailer is located within 1,000 feet of a restricted location. Where a municipality has reduced the distance and the retailer sits inside the reduced zone, the advertising restriction follows the local figure. The local ordinance check is therefore part of the analysis rather than an overlay.
Scope
The provision reads "in any form or through any medium whatsoever."
Facility types named
Seven: school grounds, playgrounds, recreation centres or facilities, child care centres, public parks, libraries, and game arcades not restricted to 21 and over.
Transit, Vehicles, and Venues
Under (2)(b)(ii), no advertising on or in a private vehicle, public transit vehicle, public transit shelter, bus stop, taxi stand, transportation waiting area, train station, airport, or any similar transit-related location. Private vehicles are named, so wraps on the licensee's own vehicles are within the prohibition.
Under (3)(c), no outdoor advertising on signs and placards in arenas, stadiums, shopping malls, fairs that receive state allocations, farmers markets, and video game arcades, whether open air or enclosed, excluding adult only facilities.
Can You Run a Digital Out of Home Screen in Washington?
A billboard is permitted under RCW 69.50.369, subject to four checks. It must sit outside the 1,000 foot buffer, unless a local ordinance has reduced it. It must not be in a prohibited venue or transit location. Its text is limited to trade name, location, and type or nature of the business under (3)(a)(ii). And it may contain no depiction of a cannabis plant or product, including an image indicating the presence of a product such as smoke, under (3)(a)(iii). Size is regulated by the city, town, county, or tribe.
Compliant Use of Geotargeting
- Build 1,000 foot exclusions measured from facility perimeters across all seven types, and apply them to served digital delivery as well as physical placement, since (2)(b)(i) reads "in any form or through any medium whatsoever."
- Check whether the local jurisdiction has reduced the buffer by ordinance, since the state figure is expressly subject to that reduction where the retailer sits within the zone.
- Exclude all transit locations and all vehicles, including private vehicles.
- Exclude arenas, stadiums, shopping malls, state-funded fairs, farmers markets and video game arcades, unless the venue is an adult only facility.
- Build the geo against (2)(d), which prohibits advertising or marketing that specifically targets persons residing out of state.
Need Help Running Compliant Campaigns in Washington?
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 Washington retailers, 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 Washington?
One advertising rule set. Washington integrated medical cannabis into the adult-use system through the Cannabis Patient Protection Act, so there is no separate medical dispensary network. Retailers may obtain a medical cannabis endorsement, which allows them to serve qualifying patients and designated providers holding a valid recognition card.
The endorsement appears in the advertising rules at 314-55-155(6). Retailers holding a medical endorsement may donate or provide free products only to qualifying patients or designated providers with a valid recognition card. They may advertise free or donated cannabis only where the product is identified by the department as compliant under chapter 246-70 WAC and tested to those standards, and may only advertise free or donated products to qualifying patients.
The definition of adult only facility also addresses patients: a location restricted to persons 21 and older by the Board is off limits to all persons under 21 except for qualifying medical cannabis patients or contracted trade workers.
What Are the Hemp and CBD Rules in Washington?
Who regulates hemp here
The Washington State Department of Agriculture administers the hemp programme, separately from the Liquor and Cannabis Board.
Non-intoxicating hemp and CBD
Permitted through general retail. A hemp product within the federal definition and sold outside the licensed cannabis channel is not advertised by a cannabis licensee, so WAC 314-55-155 does not reach it. General Washington consumer protection law and federal restrictions on health claims apply instead.
Intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids
Washington restricts intoxicating cannabinoid products to the licensed cannabis channel, and the Board has taken enforcement positions on products containing THC derived by conversion from CBD. The federal definition of hemp narrows in November 2026. Confirm the current position before planning any intoxicating hemp campaign.
What it means for advertising
Where a product is sold by a cannabis licensee, everything on this page applies: the four warnings, the 21-plus statement, the content list, the 1,000 foot buffer and the signage regime. A non-intoxicating hemp product in general retail carries none of it. Note also the prohibition at (2)(e) on cannabis-related advertising in liquor, vapour product and tobacco businesses. Classify each product before building a media plan.
Washington Legislation and Source Regulations
Every statement on this page traces to one of the following:
- WAC 314-55-155, Advertising, Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board
- RCW 69.50.369, cannabis advertising, including the billboard and trade name sign provisions
- WAC 314-55-105, defining content especially appealing to persons under legal age
- WAC 314-55-017, purchase provisions referenced in the promotions subsection
- Chapter 246-70 WAC, compliant cannabis products for medical use
- Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board
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.
Click on Your State to View Cannabis Advertising Laws
Advertising rules differ in every jurisdiction. Select a state to see its full breakdown.