How to Educate Cannabis Consumers Through Marketing

One of the most effective ways to market cannabis is by dissipating myths surrounding it. To do so, marketers should make the marijuana market approachable as a viable consumer brand.

In the recent past, cannabis has been gaining noticeable traction, legally and socially. This is a step in the right direction and deals with stereotypes engulfing marijuana.

Most cannabis enterprises are now combining brand awareness growth and educating customers. Some of the aspects they address include:

• The plant’s legality in their respective regions
• Health benefits
• The chemistry behind various marijuana products

Also, they offer lessons about cultivating and trimming the plant. The legalization of marijuana in most states has seen many companies prove they are up for the challenge. Here is how they do it.

Challenges in Educating Consumers Through Marketing

Cannabis businesses have to deal with several marketing issues that are specific to this industry, including the following. 

Strict Regulations in Cannabis Marketing

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), marijuana is still considered a Schedule 1 drug. This means is that you can obtain and use it in legal states. But the federal government has the ultimate power to shut it down at their prerogative. This is essential information that should be passed down to all players in the industry.

Cultivating cannabis containing THC levels of 0.3 percent or less is legal in the eyes of the federal government. So, as long as producers of products such as CBD meet the federal government’s mandated requirements, it is perfectly legal. However, this leaves room for a little grey area because state governments are allowed to come up and regulate their cannabis laws. 

Moreover, those regulations are usually lengthy and specific. They target advertising marijuana and its derivatives. For this reason, you cannot advertise your cannabis products on platforms that have a nationwide reach. This might violate cannabis laws in other states. Additionally, some online platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, as well as some national newspapers, do not allow marketing marijuana due to such regulations.

The Range of Products You Are Marketing

There is a wide range of products in the marijuana market. Some of them include topicals, flowers, capsules, edibles, CBD, and oils. Consequently, brands in the industry must be well conversant with not only industry guidelines but product-specific information as well. 

For instance, you have to educate your consumers. They should be aware if the product they wish to purchase contains THC, which causes psychoactive effects. Also, legal states allow CBD products to contain a regulated amount of THC. These cannot be sold or ferried across state lines. This delicate balance requires an educated audience if you wish to remain on the safe side of the law.

Here are some of the misconceptions about marijuana that marketers need to educate consumers about.

• Cannabis Makes You Lazy – This is one of the most common misconceptions about cannabis. There are all kinds of assumptions about stoners being in a constant state of couch-lock, overeating, and playing video games all day. While this is true for some people, marketers must show the public that many more people use it for medical purposes. It is also for meditation, celebration, and overcoming creativity blocks, just to name a few. Cannabis aficionados hope that the marijuana industry continues to gain more legitimacy. This way, more people will be forthcoming about their weed usage. In doing so, this might help to dissipate this myth.
• Cannabis Is a Gateway Drug – The DEA has listed cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug. Many years of anti-drug usage that stereotype the use of this wonderful plant’s derivatives are unwarranted, according to weed enthusiasts. In states that are cannabis-legal, marketers have to educate the residents. They ought to know about the new legalities of cannabis growing, possession, consumption. For instance, a report published by time magazine in 2010 indicated that the use of hard drugs and cannabis were not necessarily correlated. According to the study, cannabis was the most accessible product to them. This dismisses causality. And most hard drug users in the study who eventually tried cannabis chose to stick to it alone.
• Marijuana Always Gets You Intoxicated – As the saying goes, all golden retrievers are dogs, but not all dogs are golden retrievers. In short, not all cannabis products are necessarily intoxicating. Marketers must educate their consumers about this fact. For example, using CBD-oriented products does not result in psychoactive effects. It can be regarded as a caffeine product in this regard. According to veteran stoners, this is because both caffeine and CBD can affect your mood without impairing your functioning. If there are psychoactive responses, then it is because of the THC levels in the marijuana product you have opted for.

Effective Cannabis Marketing Through Marketing

Despite the abovementioned misconceptions, there are proven ways to educate consumers through marketing. They include:

• Content Marketing – Give the general public the real facts about cannabis. You will be able to dispel the myths around this product. While doing so, you will also establish your brand as a leader in the market. Educate them about terpenes and other lesser-known cannabis types, such as CBG. Additionally, give them information about specific products, including recent scientific discoveries and developments.
• Break Down Conventional Stereotypes – Marketers should create a sense of inclusiveness. This will change the conversation about cannabis use. It is no secret that numerous cannabis users indulge in their smoke sessions in secrecy. Cannabis education helps to inform them otherwise. There is nothing wrong with the open consumption of marijuana. This helps to dispel some pigeonholed perceptions. 
• Be Appropriate – This is for people or institutions aiming to indulge in cannabis ventures. Your marketers should be well educated in aiming their work at the appropriate crowd. Inform them of places to avoid, such as areas near schools, recreational centers, and parks, just to name a few. This helps in dissipating negative myths about cannabis.

The Final Hit

After identifying and understanding the basics of marketing in the cannabis community, you can create a strategy. Aim to benefits and educate your customers. Give your consumers viable information on terminologies, health benefits, and legal requirements, among others.

For more information about educating your cannabis consumers through marketing, visit Cannabis Promotions. Here, you can also find some latest cannabis products that might interest you.