Twitter Advertising for Cannabis Dispensaries

Did you know advertising cannabis on Twitter is now a possibility? This comes as good news for many canna-businesses that have struggled to find workarounds and loopholes to get their products in front of one of the largest social media audiences on the internet—roughly 360 million to be exact.

Cannabis is coming out of an era when everything about it was considered illegal. Due to continued federal prohibition, many tech platforms, such as social media, have been slow to embrace the change towards legal, regulated markets. As a result, there’s been a certain art required for effective cannabis marketing.

While advertising as a cannabis business on Twitter is now possible, there are some rules to adhere to and caveats that all cannabis businesses should know. We’ve pulled together some specifics to get you started in the right direction. 

 

Advertising Cannabis On Twitter – The Rules

In February 2023, Twitter became the very first social media platform to allow cannabis ads. Here’s what the platform now says about advertising cannabis on Twitter: “We permit approved Cannabis (including CBD– cannabinoids) advertisers to target the United States, …” Twitter then goes on to offer a list of restrictions that every advertiser has to follow.

1. Make Sure You’re Licensed and Obtain Pre-authorization

In order to advertise cannabis on Twitter, you have to hold the proper licensure required by the governing authorities in your state. If you are a licensed cannabis or hemp business and want to advertising on  Twitter, you must acquire pre-authorization from Twitter first. Basically, sound a bit tricky, and it is a rule that is easy to break by using the wrong terminology this means you have to get Twitter’s permission to post your ads.

2. Target Allowable Jurisdictions

You can only set up ads that target jurisdictions where you are allowed to promote your cannabis products online. This means that if you are a cannabis dispensary in Massachusetts, you can only create ads that target Massachusetts residents.

3. Comply with Applicable Laws and Guidelines

Cannabis comes with a ton of laws and guidelines regarding ads and marketing, and those rules change depending on where your business is located. In any case, you do have to follow whatever rules are in place in your state. Some regulations are more general in nature and apply to everyone. For example, you can’t make definitive or misleading health claims.

4. No Promoting or Offering the Sale of Cannabis

While you can mention cannabis or your cannabis brand, you can’t directly post cannabis for sale or promote the fact that you have cannabis for sale. Carefully vet your ad copy to make sure your ads stay live!

5. No Targeting Underage Customers

This one is a given, but nothing about your ad should be appealing to an underage (under 21) individual.

Additional Restrictions:

• Ads cannot appeal to minors, linked pages must have an age gate, and all sales must verify age
• No using images, icons, characters, celebrities, or athletes that appeal to minors
• No pregnant women or minors in ads
• No medical or efficacy claims
• No depicting cannabis use
• No depicting people using or obviously under the influence
• No misleading or false claims
• No encouraging the transport of cannabis or cannabis products across state lines

Need help with Twitter advertising and your digital marketing plan?

Getting the right information on Twitter about your canna-brand can do amazing things for your business. But, even with relaxed rules surrounding cannabis, Twitter advertising can still be difficult. At CannaPlanners, we specialize in organic growth, but we are always keeping our eyes on new growth strategies for cannabis companies, like paid advertising on social media. 

Our team can help you with everything from advertising cannabis on Twitter to building your brand’s identity and custom website. Want to have a conversation?

Let’s Talk