Tag Archive for: best cannabis PR firm

Top Cannabis Headlines of 2024

Key Takeaways

  • Regulatory Challenges Persist: Despite some federal willingness to ease restrictions, the cannabis industry continues to face complex state regulations, particularly in California, impacting smaller businesses while favoring larger players.
  • Tax Reform Uncertainty: The ongoing debate around the 280E tax deduction remains a significant issue, with potential reforms affecting funding and investment opportunities for cannabis companies in 2025.
  • Market Trends: The rise of hemp-derived products like Delta 8 and the continued growth of cannabis consumption—contrasting with declining alcohol use—indicate evolving consumer preferences and market dynamics in the cannabis industry.

2024 was a wild year for the cannabis news. From hemp-based products to the on-again, off-again tax reform of 280E and the DEA’s also not-quite-there-yet rescheduling of cannabis. The cannabis industry is sitting on pins and needles as we head into 2025. We’ll look at the way these cannabis headlines will impact cannabis PR in 2025 later, but for now, let’s look at the top cannabis headlines for 2024.

 

2024 National Cannabis News

National cannabis news in 2024 had the cannabis industry poised for celebration only to be disappointed several times. It does seem the federal government is willing to loosen the reigns on the industry, at least slightly. Meanwhile, the state-by-state regulations continue to make the cannabis industry challenging for everyone but the biggest players. Will positive cannabis news in 2025 lead to a flurry of cannabis acquisitions or cannabis IPOs? It’s almost certain that cannabis funding will increase in 2025 following an expected increase in other emerging industries.

DEA Cannabis Rescheduling

280E Tax Deduction Reform

Cannabis smoking associated with heart attacks and stroke

Alcohol consumption down, while cannabis consumption continues to grow

MSO Tilray CEO bullish on positive cannabis industry reform regardless of who wins election

Hemp-derived THC like Delta 8 takes over 

 

Top 2024 California Cannabis News

The world’s 4th largest economy continued to struggle with cannabis regulations. While some of the 2024 cannabis news from California opened the door for growth, local regulations supersede much of the state approvals, like the expansion of cannabis cafes, adding to a patchwork availability of cannabis.

The Gray Market in Cannabis Continues to Thrive

Cannabis Lounges OK’d by California

California continues to struggle with pesticide enforcement as bad actors, including major brands, ignore consumer health

California bans hemp-derived THC, but courts uphold it while under review

Top 2024 Michigan Cannabis News

Michigan passes California in units sold

 

Top 2024 New York Cannabis News

New York struggles with gray market despite legalization

 

Most Popular Avaans Media Cannabis News

Avaans Media’s cannabis insights and resources continue to grow with the cannabis industry. Our most popular pages provided insight and resources for cannabis marketing professionals and cannabis CEOs.

The Most Up to Date Cannabis Industry Tradeshows 

Top Cannabis Journalists

California Cannabis Dispensary Map

Why Hiring a Cannabis PR Firm Matters

Organizations for Diverse and Female Cannabis Entrepreneurs 

For the most up to date cannabis headlines, check out our news feeder on the Avaans Media cannabis PR page.

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State of the Cannabis Social Network

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Key Takeaways

  • Platform Challenges: Major platforms like Instagram and Facebook restrict cannabis content, forcing brands to navigate complex policies while still leveraging these channels for visibility, especially regarding hemp-derived products.
  • LinkedIn’s Advantage: LinkedIn stands out as the ultimate network for cannabis industry professionals, allowing for B2B connections and content marketing opportunities without the heavy censorship found on other platforms.
  • Emerging Networks: Dedicated cannabis social networks like MassRoots and Cannabuzz provide safer spaces for community engagement and industry-specific discussions, highlighting the importance of diversifying digital presence.

How do social media networks deal with cannabis social media content? It’s well known that Instagram is notoriously sharky waters for cannabis brands – and yet, cannabis brands forge ahead because cannabis users so heavily use it. X is…in a state of transition, shall we say. There is an often overlooked social network. LinkedIn. It has a reputation for being a little stodgy and not exactly hip. Why, then, is LinkedIn the ultimate cannabis social network for cannabis industry professionals and cannabis media? What should brands do to become trusted cannabis brands? Using PR and social media is a core component.

Meta: Hemp Derived Brands Rule

Instagram and Facebook are both allowing hemp-derived THC products to be advertised while marijuana products remain sidelined. This is interesting because Delta-9 (D9) is a cannabinoid that gives a “high feeling.” While these products operate under a (mostly) legal loophole, some states have outlawed D9 products. But Instagram and Facebook actively squash all cannabis content and even ban profiles for being too explicitly cannabis oriented. So, Meta seems to be playing both sides of the fence.

Instagram: The Spooky Cannabis Social Network

If you’re a marijuana cannabis product, the best thing you can do is familiarize the Instagram marijuana policy. Second, always have a backup account where you have your content. If you get banned, you won’t have to recreate that. You will, however, have to re-create your audience. This is one reason using a hashtag with some regularity may help. Also, it’s worth going in once a month and taking a screenshot of your users so you can re-engage them if you are bounced.

All this brings up another important point about digital marketing: always water your own lawn first. None of us will ever have 100% control over any other social media platform, especially not on the topic of cannabis social media. It’s important, as a cannabis brand, to build your own website’s content. A digital presence you have complete control over is essential for any brand.

Threads: The Cannabis Social Unwork

A glance at the action Thread posts with the word “cannabis” or the plant emoji surfaces content that’s getting zero organic reaches. Threads came out of the gate saying they would throttle certain types of content, including news and political content, so it’s not a surprise that Threads is following the Instagram trend and deprioritizing cannabis content.

LinkedIn: The Cannabis Business Social Network

Unlike other social networks (eh, em, Instagram), LinkedIn views the cannabis industry as just another business. While LinkedIn doesn’t exactly highlight cannabis industry news, it doesn’t outwardly censor it either. This contrasts with Instagram which almost every cannabis brand considers a must-do, but always does so carefully, lest the Instagram overlords decide the content violates their terms of service.

LinkedIn has become the de-factor cannabis b2b social network. And it’s more than “just” social media reach on LinkedIn for cannabis businesses; it’s a cannabis content marketing strategy.

There’s a lot to say about LinkedIn. For one, its blogs have a high search engine profile. So, writing a LinkedIn blog gives you juice in two ways: a link to your website and gives you brand visibility in search. As search changes due to AI, we’re seeing more and more search results that include an AI-generated description of what amounts to linked footnotes. While you may still get links on organic search, your brand recognition will decrease. Further, search algorithms consistently prioritize highly trusted websites like LinkedIn.

Hashtags and content sharing remain relevant on LinkedIn, and sharing news that’s already on the site gives your post slightly more visibility. One disadvantage of LinkedIn is it isn’t terribly immediate, which makes it less useful during cannabis tradeshows and live events.

 

X Marks the Spot: A Missed Cannabis Social Media Connect

A few years back, it looked like X (formerly known as Twitter) might become THE cannabis social network when it announced it would allow cannabis advertising under certain circumstances. With the introduction of X Groups, several cannabis communities coalesced together. These subgroups, for a while, were fertile ground for interesting conversations. Like any social media group, cannabis social media groups are only as good as the moderation. Even so, there was some promise there.

Prior to the cannabis advertising announcement, cannabis Twitter was worthwhile for another reason: journalists. Alas, X has lost favor with many journalists and regular users (myself included). These days, we aren’t recommending Twitter to cannabis brands very often.

 

Up and Coming Cannabis Social Networks

Cannabis specific social networks like MassRoots or Cannabuzz or even Budist are happily welcoming the cannabis community by creating spaces for the canna-curious and the canna-passionate alongside business and branding opportunities. Some platforms are free to users and some charge a subscription, but they remain places where the cannabis community can nerd out on phenoms and strains and learn from one another. These communities tend to be more of a walled garden and not so much of a digital content strategy, instead, think of them as connection and culture.

 

In the ever-evolving landscape of social media, cannabis brands face a unique set of challenges that require a nuanced approach to cannabis digital PR. While platforms like Instagram remain restrictive, and emerging players like X (formerly Twitter) navigate shifting policies, the key to long-term success lies in adaptability and diversification. Brands that focus on building their digital ecosystems—through SEO, owned content, and strategic use of more cannabis-friendly networks like LinkedIn—will position themselves for sustainable growth. As social media policies evolve, staying informed and flexible will be essential for cannabis brands to thrive in the competitive cannabis industry.

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3 Tips for Hiring a Cannabis PR Firm

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Key Takeaways

  • Assess Strategic Expertise: Ensure the cannabis PR firm you choose has a team with strong strategic expertise, as many newer agencies may lack the experience needed to navigate the complexities of the cannabis industry. Familiarize yourself with the specific team members who will be managing your PR efforts.
  • Evaluate Media Relations Skills: Look for a firm that demonstrates proficiency in cannabis media relations, including connections with niche publications and lifestyle media. Their ability to secure placements in both cannabis-specific and mainstream outlets is crucial for maximizing your brand’s visibility.
  • Define Your Target Audience: A successful cannabis PR campaign requires a clear understanding of your target audience. Choose a firm that can craft targeted messaging and leverage media placements effectively, helping your business resonate with both cannabis consumers and the investor community.

The cannabis industry is growing at a rapid rate, and cannabis-related products are being introduced to the market daily. As a result, cannabis PR firms have become increasingly popular for cannabis businesses looking to establish themselves as thought leaders in the cannabis industry. The first step to getting cannabis PR is hiring a cannabis PR agency.  Three considerations when hiring a cannabis PR firm:

 1) Strategic Expertise

For cannabis-focused PR agencies, there’s been unprecedented growth in recent years and it has led to an increase in consolidation and new entrants who may not provide clients with the level of strategic expertise that typically takes much longer to develop. As millennials continue driving change within organizations across all industries, we will see more PR agency consolidation and increased hiring among independently owned cannabis-centric agencies as they need help to build their industry-specific practices.

This means the team working on your PR may be new to PR even if the agency isn’t. Before you sign up with any PR firm, get to know the team you will work with on the day-to-day.

 

2) Media Relations Expertise When Hiring a Cannabis PR Firm

The cannabis industry is entering an era of mainstream media coverage like never, meaning cannabis PR firms that don’t show cannabis media relations expertise risk becoming irrelevant. Traditional PR agencies will need to develop cannabis-specific expertise with niche media outlets in order to remain relevant. Cannabis news outlets are a unique subset of the traditional cannabis industry trade press and the next generation cannabis-focused PR agency needs to help clients get into these specific cannabis publications.

While cannabis industry media coverage is important, you’ll also want a firm who can demonstrate cannabis PR in lifestyle, business, or niche communities to ensure your reach gets to the audiences who are most likely to respond to your brand.

“In addition, cannabis-oriented public relations agencies have popped up everywhere from Colorado to Canada,” says Roger Stonehouse, CEO of Stonehouse Group, a global financial services firm specializing in capital formation for cannabis companies. “Some cannabis-oriented PR agencies have been effective, others less so.”

3) Identifying Target Audience

In order to deliver high enough ROI, cannabis business owners need the ability to identify the target audience and create a message that will resonate. To develop a cannabis PR campaign that is an investment, not an expense, businesses must be able to understand their target audience and deliver a targeted message. Cannabis-focused public relations professionals can help cannabis businesses do just that by developing a cannabis public relations plan that delivers results for your company and the investor community as you establish legitimacy through thought leadership.”

Media outreach efforts should begin with promoting articles promoting brand visibility, positive cannabis industry news, and cannabis company milestones.

“If you’re starting a cannabis-related business and want to reach the cannabis consumer, make sure your cannabis PR firm has established media relationships with leading cannabis publications,” says Stonehouse. “This will increase the likelihood of your press release or client announcement making it into one of these sites and give you access to cannabis consumers.”

Effective cannabis-centric PR firms understand how to develop client messaging that resonates with target audiences and cannabis media outlets. Cannabis-focused PR professionals can also help cannabis businesses secure valuable cannabis media placements that provide high visibility within the niche publication and then leverage this coverage through social content (influencer marketing) and public relations outreach efforts on behalf of the cannabis brand to mainstream media outlets like the Associated Press, Reuters and/or Bloomberg News.

“However, it’s critical cannabis businesses don’t neglect the potential impact of ancillary cannabis industry coverage in publications like Forbes, Fortune, or Inc.,” says Stonehouse. “By elevating cannabis category visibility in leading business publications cannabis businesses can begin to change negative perceptions well outside the cannabis space.”

“Cannabis public relations firms need to focus on building relationships directly with consumers,” says Stonehouse. “After all, without people buying your products or services it doesn’t matter how good your cannabis PR firm is. By focusing on the cannabis media, cannabis influencers, and cannabis consumers, cannabis-centric PR firms can help cannabis brands cut through the noise and provide an interesting story that resonates with their target audience.”

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