Minnesota turned the corner on adult‑use cannabis in 2023, and the runway to retail sales is finally clear. Tribally owned shops have proven that the consumer appetite exists. Yet, the broader market remains wide open, and there’s no time like the present to get a plan in the works by learning how to open a dispensary in Minnesota. 

The legal cannabis market is no longer a sleepy cottage industry. It is a swirl of ambitious founders, fast‑moving investors, and consumers who can—and will—scroll past you in three‑tenths of a second. In that environment, why branding matters in the cannabis industry is not theoretical; it is existential. High‑caliber branding turns a jar of flower into a conversation‑starter, an edible into an emotion, and your company into a lighthouse that cuts through a very smoky horizon. Take a closer look at the reasons you need top-shelf cannabis branding to maintain a strong foothold in the industry, and some cannabis branding tips bound to spotlight your brand. 

For cannabis businesses navigating the competitive landscape of modern marketing, trust and professionalism go hand in hand. One of the simplest—and most impactful—ways to elevate your brand presence is by claiming a custom email domain that aligns with your website and company name.

The Massachusetts Flower Expo is easily one of my favorite events of the year. As an agency, we get to work with cannabis companies across the country (and even beyond), but Massachusetts will always feel like home turf.

Recent changes to Google’s verification process have made it significantly harder for cannabis dispensaries to get their Google Business Profiles (GBPs) verified and live. Without a verified profile, your dispensary won’t appear in local search results, meaning that you will have significant missed opportunities for foot traffic and online orders. At CannaPlanners, we know how to navigate these new challenges and can help you get your GBP up and running so you can rank higher, build trust, and get discovered by ready-to-buy customers.

Every month, millions of shoppers search “dispensary near me” on Google, and the top-ranked stores snag the lion’s share of those clicks. The most successful cannabis brands secure that visibility and convert it into store visits and revenue. The old cannabis playbook to make that happen? Run some ads on Weedmaps, Leafly, or other platforms, and hope you see a return on investment. Pair that with a bare-bones website and a solid POS system, and you were once relatively good to go. That approach is history, however. Today’s marketing landscape requires a more strategic approach. Our cannabis dispensary SEO guide equips brands to dominate Google for high-value keywords your competitors are already leveraging to outrank you. If you’re ready to boost revenue without relying on paid directories, this cannabis SEO strategy is your roadmap.

Google remains the first place most shoppers turn to when they need a dispensary. According to Statcounter’s April 2025 data, Google still commands roughly 89.7% of global search traffic—an enviable slice of attention for any retailer. Yet for cannabis, the platform’s Dangerous Products & Services policy is as strict as ever. Google explicitly prohibits ads that promote, link to, or even imply the sale of cannabis or THC products. Violators receive escalating penalties that can end in permanent account suspension.

“It’s not about who yells the loudest—it’s about who plans the smartest.”