You can even determine if others experience the same side effects to the antibiotic or antidepressant you’re taking.

But because of pesky legal restrictions, you don’t have that same freedom when it comes to learning about a specific cannabis strain or product from reviewers.

Which leads an inquiring mind to wonder, then just how can cannabis companies provide transparency?!

Ah, the Mighty Budtender

Nobody wants to get screwed out of their money from buying product that doesn’t suit their needs.

Plus, with consumers still reeling from the terrible events of Vape-Gate early this year, they’re increasingly concerned about getting screwed out of their lives.

Although those events were the result of illicit, black market marijuana being cut with vitamin E acetate, it put fear into the heads of many that all marijuana is life-threatening.

Thus, bud tenders have had to spend a lot of time clearing this up. But it hasn’t stopped there. Because of the aforementioned restrictions on the internet, budtenders are often the sole source for every cannabis question.

But come on.

That’s a heavy load to put on the budtender. Even if they bear an encyclopedic amount of information on their inventory, it’s impossible for them to know every new product hitting the shelves.

Furthermore, customers have vast needs. A newbie is going to need a basic starter education, while experienced consumers will seek info on new products. Forget about the consumers who have medical questions.

Then there’s the fact that not everyone is going to feel copasetic about asking budtenders for help. Sure, some of them are of the same ilk who balk at the idea of asking for directions.

But some experienced consumers may simply have a quick question that doesn’t warrant waiting in a long line to ask. Others might have questions about a health or medical issue and aren’t comfortable airing their “dirty laundry” to a stranger.

So besides working with cannabis marketing and public relations professionals to build a positive reputation in the community, what’s a business to do?

How Do Cannabis Companies Provide Transparency?

It became clear that budtenders alone could not, in good conscience, be strapped with the daunting job of educating consumers.

Even so, cannabis companies knew they had to distinguish themselves from the black market. And to do this, they had to have comprehensive educational resources about the safety of their products that was easily accessible to consumers.

The law was making it impossible to create a centralized database of specific cannabis information.

Yet there was no law that prohibited cannabis companies from providing a QR code on their packaging. So that’s what they’ve done.

Cannabis and the QR Code

If you’re unfamiliar, a QR code is a mottled mostly black and white square that you’ve probably seen at some point on a sign or product label and asked, “What’s that?”

When you scan your smart phone over it, you can get specialized content that’s not available on the sign or label.

QR codes provide a self-service solution for cannabis customers to find the product information they need including dosages, product effects, lab test results and consumer reviews. And all it takes is a smart phone.

Incorporating QR codes has been an intuitive, efficient, and streamlined solution to get product information to consumers. It offers them educational resources that make them feel more intelligent and empowered by their decisions.

And in return, cannabis brands and businesses capture data on customers – eliminating the need for a centralized database.

It’s been a win-win for everyone.

Finding Simple Solutions

How cannabis companies provide transparency through QR codes was a stroke of genius. And such a simple solution.

And if you currently own a cannabis business and are looking for simple solutions for your marketing and public relations needs, contact us today.

The post How Can Cannabis Companies Provide Transparency? appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.

Even so, women are not shying away from using it.

So how are women’s cannabis preferences different from men’s?

It might seem a pointless question.

But cannabis businesses would be smart to pay attention to what this important one third of the market is looking for in their cannabis experience.

Flower Power

If you’re one for stereotyping, then you might assume that “flower” is at the top of the women’s list. And it is.

Well, ha! It’s at the top of the men’s list too. Men hold over half of the category share. But they only hold the majority by a small margin.

The Pen Is Mighty

Vape pens come in second on the men’s preference list. But once again, they hold the same place with women too.

And men edge out women in category share by an even smaller margin on this one.

So up to this point, it seems that women and men are in the same cannabis camp. But there are some different activities going on in the women’s tent.

Concentrates and Pre-Rolls Are out

Men love concentrates. Women, not so much.

In fact, their spending on concentrates dropped 15% last year. Pre-roll spending dropped off even more at 18%.

So then where is their spending focused?

Edibles, Topical, Tinctures and Sublinguals

Here’s the deal. Women, in general, tend to be more concerned about their health and wellness.

This carries over to the cannabis market as well.

So it makes sense that they’d be stocking up on edibles, topicals, tinctures and sublinguals – particularly those with lower dosages. They’re looking less to get high, and more to get a better night’s sleep or experience less anxiety.

Women make up 58% of the edible category and 64% of the tinctures/sublinguals market. And they make up a whopping 68% percent of sales of topicals.

So while women were refraining from buying concentrates and pre-rolls last year, they were increasing their tincture and sublingual purchases by 42%. And topical sales shot up to 47%.

Women’s Cannabis Preferences Lean Toward Health

Armed with this information, cannabis businesses are beginning to gear certain products toward women.

For example, women favor CBD heavy tinctures and balms that target areas of inflammation while providing healing and calming effects. So it’s showing up more on shelves.

Then there’s a company in Colorado that manufactures vapor pens that are scientifically formulated for women, by women – providing lower dosage options that still aim to deliver a mellow feeling.

And finally – speaking of stereotypes – there’s chocolate. While there is no scientific evidence that women crave chocolate more than men, they do claim the lion’s share of chocolate edibles.

Battle of the Sexes

Obviously, there’s no specific product or category that’s exclusive to men or women.

But women’s cannabis preferences seem to point to lower dosages and more nuanced methods of consumption.

So it’s well advised for cannabis business owners to stay attuned to these preferences. As the population ages, there’s a good chance that women could just end up as 50% of the market.

Cannabis business owners are also well-advised to stay on top of their marketing and public relations. We’re cannabis marketing specialists.

So contact us if your current strategy could use a boost. We can help.

The post What Are Women’s Cannabis Preferences? appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.

Medical News Today in 2017 writes how tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, was the most well-known compound in the cannabis plant, but they now realize marijuana contains THC and CBD. They say THC is known for the mind alerting “high” it produces when broken down by heat and introduced into the body, but on the other hand, CBD is a non-psychoactive compound which means it doesn’t affect the mind or mental processes of whoever is using it.

According to Leaf Science in 2017, there are two types of the cannabis plant, hemp which contains .03 percent THC, and marijuana which contains high levels of THC. They say hemp is usually harvested for its stalks and seeds rather than its flowers and these are the parts of the plant where CBD is legally allowed to be extracted.

Green says, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, imported hemp products are legal as long as they do not cause THC to enter the human body. He says that CBD products can be made from the legally grown domestic hemp, and sold in the state that they were made in. He expresses how it starts to get hairy when CBD products move across state lines. He says if you purchase CBD products, it doesn’t necessarily mean your purchase was legal, but it doesn’t mean the purchase was illegal either. Green explains how it all depends on the product, where/how is was created, and where/how it was sold. He says your best bet for legality purposes as well as quality purposes is to purchase CBD products from a licensed dispensary.

Medical News Today goes on to say that because of the way CBD acts in the body, it has many potential benefits. They say a study published in The Journal of Experimental Medicine found CBD significantly reduces chronic inflammation in some mice and rats. They say this proves how CBD can help treat pain or inflammation. They also say CBD is being studied for its possible role in treating epilepsy and other mental health disorders. Along with this, it’s being studied for its use as an anti-cancer agent, for patients with chronic anxiety, type 1 diabetes, acne, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Healthyhempoil.com in 2017 says when buying CBD products, you should pay attention to CBD volume, hemp oil volume, and concentration. They then discuss the different types of CBD products, starting with CBD capsules, which are standard dissolvable capsules that contain powdered hemp oil with concentrations of CBD. Then, they describe CBD tinctures, which they say are the most popular and arguably the most versatile form of CBD. They say tinctures are absorbed under your tongue, which means they act quickly, and can be added to any drink you choose. Finally, they discuss CBD topicals, which include lotions, creams, balms, and more, and are a handy way to target specific points of stiffness or inflammation on your body since CBD is absorbable through the skin.

On August 2017, co-founder, CEO, and Editor-in-Chief of GreenMarketReport, Debra Borchardt wrote how hemp cannabis product sales are projected to hit one billion dollars in the next three years. She says that according to a new report by Brightfield Group, hemp CBD sales have already hit 170 million dollars in 2016, and there is an expected 55 percent compound annual growth rate over the next five years. Brightfield says they determined that 64.5 percent of sales come through the online channel followed by 17.8 percent at smoke shops and thirdly 9 percent at dispensaries. They say the top 20 brands averaged sales of 2.1 million dollars per year per company for 2016, and the top five online brands were CW Hemp, PlusCBD Oil, HempMeds, Elixinol and CannazALL.

The post What is CBD? appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.