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New York State Debuts Nation’s First Broadcast Cannabis Advertisement Focused on Social Equity

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Public Service Advertisement Highlights Comprehensive Approach Being Taken by the State to Ensure Diversity in the New Industry

Raises Awareness on Historical Disproportionate Enforcement as New York Builds Adult Use Industry Centered on Addressing Harms Caused by Prohibition

 

NEW YORK: The New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has released a public service advertisement to debut tonight during game one of the NBA Finals calling attention to the state’s goals of creating a diverse and inclusive industry and repairing harm d one during cannabis prohibition. 

New York State has already expunged or suppressed almost 400,000 convictions for cannabis offenses and the OCM has launched a national model for prioritizing applicants impacted by the enforcement of cannabis prohibition through its Seeding Opportunity Initiative . Announced by Governor Hochul on March 10, 2022, the Initiative positions successful businesses owners with a cannabis conviction, or their family members, to be the first to make adult– use cannabis retail sales i n New York with products grown by New York farmers.

The Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA), New York’s Cannabis Law, enacted March 31, 2021, sets a goal of delivering 50% of licenses to equity applicants, a group that includes individuals from communities highly impacted by the over criminalization of cannabis prohibition, including those with cannabis convictions, as well businesses owned by minorities and women, service-disabled veterans, and distressed farmers. The law was built on the premise that the racial disparity in enforcement caused sign ificant harms to these communities and those who call them home. The MRTA prioritizes addressing the harms of disparate arrests and generates resources to help revitalize communities hit hardest by the disproportionate enforcement of cannabis prohibition.

The advertisement released today is the first cannabis-related advertisement in the nation focusing on the disproportionate enforcement of cannabis prohibition to appear on broadcast television. It highlights the wide disparity in arrest rates for cannabis offenses for Black, Brown, and White New Yorkers during the 30 years prior to cannabis legalization. It states that Black people in New York were 15 times more likely to get arrested for cannabis than White people over the last 30 years; Latinos were 8 times more likely. Despite these disparities, data has shown that cannabis use among different races is essentially the same. The data points are based on New York State arrest data from 1990data from the U.S. Department of Health an 2020 and population d Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.

In sharing historical arrest data, the public service advertisement raises awareness of racial disparities in marijuana arrests and directs New Yorkers to cannabis.ny.gov where they can also learn about New York’s developing cannabis industry.

View the advertisement here. 

 

‘Nurse Heather’ Is Bringing Cannabis Education To A Mainstream TV Audience

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CALIFORNIA: For more than a dozen years, Nurse Heather has been on the cutting edge of medical cannabis education.  Beginning April 20th, 2021, she’ll be taking that knowledge, and her cannabis nurses’ perspective, to a mainstream TV audience in her new role as host of “Nurse Talk”  — one of three on-demand programs debuting on 420MEDIA’s ANewCannabisChannel.com

Each episode of Nurse Talk will feature one-on-one  conversations with leading cannabis nurses, doctors, patients, pioneers, and celebrity athletes, exploring answers to common questions about medical cannabis, with a particular focus on understanding the endocannabinoid system, cannabinoid therapeutics, and dosing.

MJNews’ David Rheins had an opportunity to sit down with Nurse Heather this week for an exclusive conversation, during which she explained that her relationship with the plant began as a teenager, where like so many she was introduced to marijuana as a recreational social lubricant.  It was only many years later, as a practicing healthcare professional, that Nurse Heather discovered the powerful medicinal benefits of medical cannabis. A knowledge that she learned directly from from her cannabis-using patients — not through nursing school, professional education, or other healthcare professionals who remained largely ignorant and skeptical of the plant.

As that firsthand patient and clinical experience grew, Nurse Heather began to share that knowledge with other healthcare professionals, and soon became a “go to resource,” public speaker and community leader, picking up the appellation “Cannabis Nurse Heather” along the way. 

Nurse Heather was invited to join an New Mexico dispensary license, assuming the responsibility of sharing with the dispensary staff all she had learned along her journey. She immersed herself on a mission to learn everything she could about the science of cannabis, participating at conferences like Patients Out of Time, Marijuana for Medical Professionals where first discovered the endocannabinoid system.

That knowledge blew “the top of my head off” she told MJNews, “I couldn’t unlearn it, and as a matter of fact I had to share it. It became a passion of mine to help educate my colleagues.”

“Nurse Talk” will debut on April 20, 2021, available for on-demand via Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android and iOS.

Cresco Labs Launches California Advertising Campaign, Marking Its Most Significant Marketing Push To Date

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Campaign touting the brand’s high quality and consistency supports new packaging and products in the market as Cresco strives to become one of the leading cannabis brands in the country’s largest recreational state

CALIFORNIA: Cresco Labs, one of the largest vertically integrated multi-state cannabis operators in the United States, today debuted its largest advertising initiative created to bolster consumer awareness in California of its namesake cannabis brand, Cresco. Called “Excellent Everyday Cannabis”, the multi-channel campaign spans cannabis and mainstream media and features break-through branding that highlights the importance of quality and consistency for everyday cannabis consumption—a marketing message that closely aligns with Cresco Labs’ mission to normalize and professionalize cannabis use. The campaign supports the market introduction of updated packaging featuring an elevated look and feel for Cresco’s portfolio of products that include flower, cartridges and solid concentrates.

As Cresco quickly moves to solidify its position as one of the largest cannabis brands in California, this initiative comes at a particularly significant time. Cresco has historically operated in medical markets such as Illinois and Pennsylvania, and the brand is making its first marketing push in a recreational market where cannabis companies can advertise and speak directly to consumers. Cresco aims to set itself apart from other brands with straightforward messaging that demonstrates its quality and consistency.

“We’re focused on delivering the most consistent, high quality products for consumers who use cannabis to complement their daily rituals. Whether it’s to relax, focus or sleep, people are looking for a cannabis brand they can trust,” said Cory Rothschild, SVP of Brand Marketing at Cresco Labs. “At a time when many brands are focused on the most exceptional moments in life – the parties or the unattainable – we’re proud to deliver excellent everyday cannabis that Californians can count on to help enhance their lives. The new campaign will live in many of the channels where you would expect to see traditional CPG products, helping to destigmatize cannabis use at a time when so many people benefit from thoughtful, responsible consumption.”

“Excellent Everyday Cannabis” aims to captivate consumers through straightforward language that favors product attributes over the occasion and a modern approach to content creation and media placement. Cresco Labs worked with Steelworks, a Los Angeles-based studio specializing in Computer Generated Imagery (CGI), to develop high quality, visually stunning imagery that highlights the refined aesthetic of Cresco’s new packaging. Imagery positions Cresco products to pop off bold, colored backgrounds, with straight-forward and straight-on angles that cast a big angular shadow garnering attention. Copy placed behind the product uses striking fonts and repetition to underline the campaign’s primary message, “excellent everyday cannabis,” with other copy variations to reinforce quality, consistency and everyday usability.

The company tapped digital advertising company Centro to implement a programmatic strategy leveraging algorithmic learnings and machine buying to reach target audiences in the right mindset and environment in real-time with precision and efficiency. High-impact digital displays in cannabis websites, such as Leafly and Weedmaps, as well as in best-in-class media partners Penske Media and Condé Nast, enable the company to reach target audiences consuming high quality content in these premium and rich contextual environments. The advertising initiative also includes digital out-of-home ads in elevator and lobby areas throughout Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco; print advertising in daily newspapers, such as the San Francisco Chronicle, and two custom, hand-painted wall murals in Santa Monica by artist Lefty Out There, a celebrated Chicago-based artist known for his intricate pattern work, contemporary aesthetic and attention to detail.

The “Excellent Everyday Cannabis” campaign coincides with a national packaging relaunch and rebrand of Cresco. The new brand launches first in California, with plans for a nationwide expansion in the coming months.

Cannabis Educational and Awareness Campaign, “Hmm Did You Know” Debuts On Cable TV

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 30-Second Spots Aired On BRAVO, Discovery and The History Channel, Dispelling the Stigma of Cannabis

CALIFORNIA: For the first time in history, cannabis education commercials hit mainstream television this week. A groundbreaking media blitz campaign for the upcoming cannabis online TV network Hmm Did You Know (HDYK) aired a number of :30 commercial spots during primetime programming on stations including BRAVO, Discovery and the History Channel in the greater LA market. Featuring  Senator Positive T.A. Nelson, a seven-term Senator from the island of St. Croix, discussing the science and economic power of medical cannabis, the HDYK campaign suggests that standards are shifting for cannabis marketing in legal states.

The spot, created by 420MEDIA, a Seattle, NYC and Nevada-based digital marketing and media agency serving the legal cannabis industry, is the first in a series that will feature prominent voices in the cannabis industry and community.

“The rationale behind medicinal cannabis is real, the science is real, the economics behind it is real, the health behind it is real,  and the opportunities behind are very real” says Senator Nelson in the spot promoting Hmm Did You Know Online Cannabis Network, a collaborative effort with 420MEDIA to launch an internet based digital video service that provides insight, education, and entertainment in the world of cannabis. The network will give audiences a clear representation of the cannabis plant and industry through premium content, innovative advertising, and a personalized experience.

Cannabis Commericals

“This first cannabis education spot for the HDYK Network marks an important milestone for the cannabis industry. For the first time in history, cannabis industry commercials have now gone mainstream and we are ecstatic to reach large populations during primetime with messages on the benefits of cannabis,” says Kerri Accardi, CEO of 420MEDIA.  “This is just the first of many slated for this cannabis awareness education campaign with other renowned cannabis experts in the sports, medical and entertainment field sharing their wealth of information about benefits of medical cannabis. We are happy to break through and deliver the message that will reach national audiences,” she adds.

The first spot was co-sponsored by 420MEDIA along with several cannabis-based organizations and businesses including:

Humboldt Grace, a woman-owned cannabis strategic consulting company. Founder Lelehnia Du Bois offers her 45 years of experience to educate on the cannabis culture, work with individual, businesses, and organizations to develop successful strategies, and advocate for a healthy and sustainable industry.

The Marijuana Business Association (MJBA) has quickly established itself as one of the leading national b2b organizations in legal cannabis.  Established to provide business intelligence, professional networking and new business opportunity, MJBA hosts regular industry networking meetups, boot camps and seminars in Washington, Oregon, Colorado,  New York and Ohio and publishes the MJNews Network.

Nature Nurse Products utilize the power of nature and knowledge of medicine to create products that support the biological Endocannabinoid system. Nature Nurse is a beautifully blended and synergistic combination of ancient plant wisdom which has been expanded upon through science to create high-quality, easy to use products to incorporate into everyday life supporting health and well-being.
Curved Papers, a new twist on Rolling Papers, was founded by Michael O’Malley, an MIT-educated entrepreneur whose innovative patented curved design makes joints Easy To Roll.

Vital CBD:  Age Vital pharmacy, research and wellness is your local community and compounding family pharmacy Sarasota. By working in the medical field closely with physicians and patients for several years, their primary commitment is to serve people who suffer from chronic conditions such as pain, inflammatory conditions, and stress.

“We did it! We can take cannabis education to the mainstream on TV during Primetime to provide facts with the cannabis industry sponsors,” 420MEDIA’s Accardi said. “I’m humbled. We were able to achieve this five years to the day my Aunt Kathy passed away on October 2nd. I promised her that that I was going to educate the world about cannabis. This is the first in a series to air on TV. I encourage, and welcome cannabis and hemp businesses of any size interested in supporting cannabis education and build their brand awareness to contact us about unprecedented sponsorship opportunities,” she said.

Mother of Terminally Ill Daughter Sues Governor to Invalidate Cannabis Advertising Laws

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WASHINGTON: The mother of a terminally ill child is suing Washington Governor Inslee over the unconstitutional restrictions on cannabis advertising. Meagan Holt depends upon cannabis to save her daughter’s life. Her daughter, Maddie, is diagnosed with Zellweger syndrome and suffers from seizures that have left Maddie blind, deaf, and terminally ill. The suit alleges Washington’s advertising restrictions unconstitutionally prevent Meagan and Maddie’s right to freely hear communications about cannabis medicines for her daughter.

Mother of Terminally Ill Daughter Sues Governor to Invalidate Cannabis Advertising Laws

Mother of Terminally Ill Daughter Sues Governor to Invalidate Cannabis Advertising Laws

Last year, Washington placed new regulations on cannabis businesses for the third time since I502 passed; the new law originally listed as SB 5131, focused on advertisements. Meagan’s suit alleges that these laws, in combination with existing policy from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) have created a situation that makes it impossible for her to locate a reliable, legal source of medicine for her daughter, including preventing her from finding free product for her ailing daughter.

Meagan’s attorneys, Bonnie Fong and Sean Badgley of C3 Law Group PLLC, focus on challenging state overreach in the cannabis area and they believe Washington’s new rules regarding advertising restrictions are unconstitutional restrictions on free speech.

Maddie’s situation, “represents a stark example of the unintended consequences that come from regulating cannabis without a proper understanding of the market, the needs of patients, or any of the other legitimate concerns of people who aren’t directly employed by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board” Badgley says. Fong adds “The government has taken a highly paternalistic approach to cannabis advertising laws, and in doing so, has infringed upon the rights of our clients’ right to speak, and hear, freely.”

Governor Inslee signed the laws in question May of last year, which became effective in July of 2017. Since that time, the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) has issued multiple advertising violations. The complaint alleges that the restrictions are unconstitutional and punish patients who need more detailed advertising to make important decisions regarding the patient’s medical needs.

 

 

Las Vegas Dispensary Acres Cannabis Is First Dispensary To Advertise In-Flight With Major US Airline

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NEVADA: One of Nevada’s top dispensaries, Acres Cannabis announces a revolutionary deal with a major U.S. airline to advertise in-flight. This marks a historic first for the Cannabis Industry in the United States.

This latest announcement continues to puff new life into the “Cannabis Experience.” Located at 2320 Western Avenue, the company has quickly become an industry disruptor, evoking the vibe of a speakeasy for a community of “high”-minded clientele. Engaging the audience, Acres has hosted local art events, breakdancing competitions, Uber bikini car washes, mustache and beard trimming, and FREE “Dopenuts” from their open view Cannabis Kitchen with any purchase over $20.

Founder and CEO John Mueller commented, “Acres recent Airline campaign creates another first for the marijuana industry, and helps propel all of us towards mainstream acceptance. Acres plans to continue to lead the industry by cultivating one of a kind cannabis experiences.”

Las Vegas currently has 55 Recreational Dispensaries to serve the 42 million visitors who travel to the city each year.

CANCELLED DUE TO SNOWSTORM. Creating and Protecting CannaMarks, NWMJLaw/MJBAPortland Bootcamp Jan 11th

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TONIGHT’S MJBAPORTLAND BOOTCAMP CANCELLED DUE TO SNOWSTORM.

BE SAFE.

WE’LL RESCHEDULE!

OREGON: It’s not enough to grow great weed, or create a better edible, in today’s hyper-competitive cannabis market, it’s all about creating — and protecting — your brand, or “CannaMark.”   Leading industry attorneys NWMJ Law have partnered with the Marijuana Business Association (MJBA) to present their first Bootcamp of the year.

The 2 hour bootcamp will take place on Wednesday, January 11th 2017 6:30 – 8:30pm. at the NWMJLaw offices, 220 NW 8th Avenue, Portland, Oregon.   Open to industry pioneers as well as the public with a $10 suggested donation for this networking event. 

Panelists include NWMJ Law’s Margaret Widlund on Protecting your Brand, NWMJ Law’s Aaron Pelley on Intellectual Property Litigation and KindTyme on Advertising and Marketing.Paneled by visionaries and pioneers in the cannabis industry, these experts will focus on Advertising, Marketing, Trademark, and IP Issues.  This 2-hour event is dedicated to 2017 being the year of brand differentiation.

The MJBA, called the Chamber of Commerce of marijuana by NBC News, focuses on ending prohibition, educating consumers, legitimizing the industry, and expanding the market.  Their partner, NWMJ Law is one of the fastest growing cannabis law firms in the Pacific Northwest and together they work tirelessly to change the face of this growing industry.

Legal Cannabis Marketers Carefully Sell Their Wares

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WASHINGTON:  While marketing quality cannabis to eager consumers may seem like simple stuff, licensed cannabis marketers are tasked with operating under strict regulatory guidelines, and must stay diligent or risk the wrath of both federal and state regulators.  The Federal Trade Commission is the overseer of advertising in the US, and that includes Washington State’s I-502 legal cannabis industry, while the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) and the Attorney General are the industry enforcers. Advertising is one of the few areas of regulation that is stricter in Washington State than in other recreational cannabis states.

The WSLCB has increasingly been focusing it’s actions on product packaging and internet marketing, and in response the Marijuana Business Association has invited leading cannabis industry attorneys Aaron Pelley and Anne van Leynseele of NWMJ Law to present ‘the dos and don’ts of marketing, advertising, packaging’ to an audience of producers, processors, retailers, and a diverse group of ancillary business owners at the HOT BOX: The Best in Marijuana Design and Packaging 2016  seminar on June 2nd in Tacoma, Washington.

“We will start with an overview of the constitutional rights; making the important distinction that advertising is not considered free speech so it can be regulated,” Anne van Leynseele told MJNN. “Building the foundation that the principle concepts of advertising and marketing law include truth in advertising and avoiding unfair trade practices. The Constitution is also the basis for Intellectual Property laws and the often misunderstood difference between assets that can be protected and those that cannot.”

NWMJ Law’s featured presentation will include advice that every business marketing cannabis brands on the internet and social media needs to know.  including Encouraging each business owner to carefully assess their compliance with for example: compliant packaging, proper signage on retail premises, displaying their valid license, and including mandatory warnings on ads.an update on the pending changes on labeling, as well the general principles, protective strategies, and our insights about what is happening in this critical and subjective aspect of the cannabis industry.

Advance Tickets on sale here:

The Art Of Marketing Marijuana

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How to make pot seem as all-American as an ice-cold beer

In the summer of 2014, The New York Times published its first-ever marijuana ad. The occasion was the enactment of New York’s Compassionate Care Act, which legalized pot for some medical uses. The ad, a congratulatory note from a Seattle start-up, depicted a well-dressed, newspaper-toting man standing on his stoop while a young woman jogged past. Both wore determined expressions; the man, according to the text, consumed marijuana “to relieve his MS symptoms,” and the woman used it “while fighting cancer.” The ad made sense for its time and place. Earlier that year, Colorado and Washington State had begun allowing the sale of recreational pot, and critics were warning that as more states followed suit, profit-motivated corporations could start marketing a lot of pot to a lot of people. Savvy marijuana businesses, worried about confirming this suspicion, stuck to depictions of their most sympathetic users.

Pot’s image problem has since begun to fade, especially in states like Washington and Colorado. Two more states, Oregon and Alaska, have legalized the recreational use of marijuana, and several others may soon have the opportunity to join them. But the people who sell the drug are facing a predicament. In a legal market, cannabis—the plant from which pot is derived—comes to resemble many other farmed products: One grower’s plant looks and tastes a lot like his neighbor’s. (Some pot connoisseurs with sensitive palates can differentiate among strains of cannabis—and even among brands—but they’re as rare as the coffee drinker who can guess his beans’ origins.) John Kagia, the director of industry analytics at New Frontier, which studies the marijuana business, is convinced that pot is becoming commoditized. In Colorado, the supply of marijuana flower is going up, and its cost down, partly because of technological advancements and larger, more efficient operations—just the kind of forces that have turned other products into commodities.

AMC Stirs The Pot With Ad In Marijuana Magazine

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CALIFORNIA:  In a sign that the political winds are changing, High Times — the 41-year-old monthly magazine dedicated to all things marijuana — has landed its first ever non-pot-related advertiser.

IFC, the cable TV channel owned by AMC Networks, has taken out an ad in the October issue for its show “Comedy Bang! Bang!”

Publisher Mary McEvoy, an 11-year veteran of the magazine, said, “This is a first. We hope it unplugs the dam.”

McEvoy concedes that over the years there has been an occasional ad from a movie studio or a network — but that was only if the film or TV show dealt with marijuana.