Cannabis Advertising Laws
Cannabis is legal in half of America, yet still considered a Schedule I substance at the federal level.
As of 2025, 24 states allow adult-use cannabis, and 38 permit medical marijuana, but advertising remains a patchwork of state rules, platform restrictions, and compliance challenges.
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Cannabis Advertising Laws By State
As marijuana laws continue to evolve, cannabis legalization and advertising laws vary widely. Some states permit digital ads, transit signage, and billboards; others ban all public cannabis marketing. Understanding what’s allowed in each market is critical for staying compliant and competitive.
Cannabis Advertising Laws
Virginia
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Retail sales anticipated in the future; home cultivation of up to 4 plants allowed.
Arizona
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries
Wisconsin
CBD With TCH Only
Qualifying Conditions:
Severe medical conditions
Dispensary Regulations:
Limited availability through dispensaries; no home cultivation
Kentucky
CBD with THC only
Age Restriction: 18+
Retail Regulations:
Regulations still in progress.
Kansas
Fully Illegal
Indiana
CBD With THC Only
Idaho
Fully Illegal
Wyoming
Fully Illegal
Texas
Qualifying Conditions:
Limited medical conditions
Possession Limit:
Low-THC cannabis; no more than 0.5% THC
Dispensary Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; strict regulations
South Dakota
Medical
Age Restriction: 18+
Retail Regulations:
Dispensaries are licensed and regulated; home cultivation is not permitted.
South Carolina
Fully Illegal
Oklahoma
Medical
Age Restriction: 18+
Retail Regulations:
Dispensaries widely available; home cultivation of up to 6 plants allowed.
Nebraska
Medical and Decriminalized
Mississippi
Medical and Decriminalized
Age Restriction: 18+
Retail Regulations:
Dispensaries licensed; home cultivation not allowed.
Iowa
CBD With THC Only
Age Restriction: 18+
Retail Regulations:
Dispensaries regulated; very limited THC content allowed.
Georgia
CBD With THC Only
Qualifying Conditions:
Limited medical conditions
Dispensary Regulations:
Limited access
West Virginia
Medical
Qualifying Conditions:
Specific medical conditions
Dispensary Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; no home cultivation
Washington
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; state-operated stores
Vermont
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; home cultivation of up to 6 plants allowed.
Utah
Medical
Rhode Island
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; local control over sales
Pennsylvania
Medical
Qualifying Conditions:
Specific medical conditions
Dispensary Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; limited home cultivation
Oregon
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; low barriers to entry for businesses
Ohio
Legalized
Qualifying Conditions:
Specific medical conditions
Dispensary Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; no home cultivation
North Dakota
Medical and Decriminalized
Age Restriction: 19+
Retail Regulations:
Dispensaries licensed; home cultivation only allowed under specific conditions.
New York
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; delivery services permitted
New Mexico
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; home cultivation allowed
New Jersey
Legalized
Qualifying Conditions:
Specific medical conditions
Dispensary Regulations:
Licensed Alternative Treatment Centers (ATCs); no home cultivation
New Hampshire
Medical and Decriminalized
Age Restriction: 18+
Retail Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; home cultivation not allowed.
Nevada
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; strict testing requirements
Montana
Legalized
Qualifying Conditions:
Specific medical conditions
Age Restrictions: 21+
Dispensary Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; home cultivation
Missouri
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; home cultivation of up to 6 flowering plants allowed.
Minnesota
Legalized
Qualifying Conditions:
Specific medical conditions
Dispensary Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; no home cultivation
Michigan
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; local option for consumption lounges
Massachusetts
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; local control
Maryland
Legalized
Qualifying Conditions:
Specific medical conditions
Dispensary Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; no home cultivation
Maine
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; local control over sales
Louisiana
Medical and Decriminalized
Age Restriction: 18+
Retail Regulations:
Licensed pharmacies; home cultivation not allowed.
Illinois
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; social equity provisions
Hawaii
Medical And Decriminalized
Qualifying Conditions:
Specific medical conditions
Dispensary Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries
Florida
Medical Only
Qualifying Conditions:
Specific medical conditions
Dispensary Regulations:
Licensed medical marijuana treatment centers.
District of Columbia
Legalized
Delaware
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Retail sales regulated with licensed dispensaries; delivery services allowed.
Connecticut
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Retail sales regulated with licensed dispensaries; delivery services allowed.
Colorado
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; vertical integration allowed
California
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; local control over sales
Arkansas
Medical
Qualifying Conditions:
Specific medical conditions
Dispensary Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries
Alabama
Medical
Qualifying Conditions:
Specific medical conditions
Dispensary Regulations:
Licensed facilities; no home cultivation
Alaska
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries
Cannabis Legalization By State
Recreational Cannabis States
California
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; local control over sales
Colorado
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries; vertical integration allowed
Connecticut
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Retail sales regulated with licensed dispensaries; delivery services allowed.
Delaware
Legalized
Age Restriction: 21+
Retail Regulations:
Retail sales regulated with licensed dispensaries; delivery services allowed.
Medical Marijuana States
Alabama
Medical
Qualifying Conditions:
Specific medical conditions
Dispensary Regulations:
Licensed facilities; no home cultivation
Arkansas
Medical
Qualifying Conditions:
Specific medical conditions
Dispensary Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries
Florida
Medical Only
Qualifying Conditions:
Specific medical conditions
Dispensary Regulations:
Licensed medical marijuana treatment centers.
Georgia
CBD With THC Only
Qualifying Conditions:
Limited medical conditions
Dispensary Regulations:
Limited access
Hawaii
Medical And Decriminalized
Qualifying Conditions:
Specific medical conditions
Dispensary Regulations:
Licensed dispensaries
Iowa
CBD With THC Only
Age Restriction: 18+
Retail Regulations:
Dispensaries regulated; very limited THC content allowed.
What Makes Cannabis Advertising Compliant?
Running compliant cannabis ads isn’t optional—it’s foundational to protecting your business and license. Here’s what matters:
LDA Compliance
When advertising, you need to know all about LDA compliance or legal drinking age compliance, and ensure your ads are not served to less than 76.6% of households with residents under 21 years old.
Tools like MediaJel’s DemoGraph Audience Builder help ensure 21+ verified audience targeting at scale.
LegitScript Certification
LegitScript is required for running topical CBD ads on Google and Meta. This third-party certification validates legal, safe product marketing.
Geo-Targeting
Ads must be delivered only in legal states—and often only within specific legal zones, avoiding schools and youth-centric areas.
Platform-Specific Rules
Meta allows limited hemp promotion. Google permits topical CBD with certification. Twitter/X permits cannabis advertising with restrictions. These policies are evolving—stay current.
Inventory Restrictions
Cannabis ads can’t appear on kid-friendly sites or apps. Compliant programmatic platforms like MediaJel allow businesses to access explicitly approved cannabis inventory to avoid unsafe placements.
How can I legally advertise cannabis products online?
If you’re marketing in the cannabis space, staying compliant isn’t optional—here are the safest, most effective advertising strategies that align with state regulations:
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – The safest long-term digital strategy, and the most valuable bc it builds over time.
Influencer Marketing – Leveraging brand ambassadors can influence short term sales spikes.
Educational Content – Blogs, guides, and YouTube content providing value without direct promotion. The goal is to create trust building content.
Programmatic Advertising – Running compliant mobile, DOOH (Digital out of home), and even CTV ads through specialized Cannabis Programmatic Advertising platforms.
What platforms allow cannabis advertising, and what are their restrictions?
Google permits topical-only CBD advertising with Legit Script certification, while Meta (Facebook and Instagram) has relaxed some policies for hemp-derived products. Twitter (X) allows cannabis advertising with restrictions on targeting.
Alternative ad networks, such as MediaJel, cater specifically to the cannabis industry. Geo-targeted display ads, Connected TV (CTV) and digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising are compliant options. Check out MediaJel’s full list of cannabis approved advertising options here.
Intra-State Regulatory Challenges
One of the major challenges of federal marijuana legalization is reconciling the diverse regulatory frameworks across different states. States like Colorado and California have well-established systems for regulating both medical and recreational cannabis, whereas other states have more restrictive laws.
A unified federal framework must address these variations without undermining state-specific regulations that have already proven effective. Potential conflicts could arise if federal regulations are too rigid or not adaptable to individual states' unique needs and contexts.
Balancing federal oversight with state autonomy is another critical consideration. States that legalize cannabis must develop tailored policies that reflect the preferences and priorities of their residents. Federal legalization should respect these state-specific approaches while providing overarching guidelines to ensure nationwide consistency and safety.
Hemp-Derived Advertising Laws & eCommerce Compliance
Hemp-derived products like CBD, Delta-8, and THCv are now sold nationwide—but that doesn’t mean you can advertise them anywhere. Leading DTC brands like CBDistillery, Exhale Wellness, Urb, Moonwlkr, and Binoid have helped define the category, but face new rules as platforms tighten enforcement.
Key compliance considerations:
• THC Content Rules (≤0.3% Delta-9 THC by dry weight)
• Shipping restrictions based on state and carrier
• Meta's shifting hemp ad approval process
• Payment processor and banking limitations for eComm
To advertise legally and profitably, hemp eCommerce brands must balance reach with compliance—leveraging geo-targeting, content marketing, SEO, and verified age-gated programmatic ads.
Think Big… Now even bigger
We thrive on helping our cannabis clients, partners, colleagues, and community succeed. And we never settle. In everything we do, we strive to break down barriers, modernize media opportunities, and champion MarTech innovations that deliver brand-building results for the cannabis industry.
By staying ahead of the curve, we ensure that our cannabis marketing strategies are compliant, creative, and impactful, maximizing opportunities in a constantly evolving market. Our commitment is to help cannabis brands grow responsibly while reaching their target audience with meaningful, effective campaigns.
