Having a good public relations strategy will put you in the spotlight and establish your brand as a leader in the industry. It will also go the distance with your credibility.

So how does cannabis PR work for you? It can help you with the following:

1. Raising Capital

You may be fairly certain you have what it takes to run and scale a successful business. But without the right amount of capital, it’s going to be an uphill battle. Catching the attention of interested investors is one of the better ways to get that capital.

So who are your ideal investors?

If you ask successful cannabis entrepreneurs how they attracted investors, the vast majority of them will tell you that their investors read, saw, or listened to something about them. And it makes sense. Because no matter how brilliant your idea, amazing your solution, or innovative your plan, it’s not going anywhere if you can’t communicate it to a viable investor audience.

You need to show up in publications, broadcasts, podcasts and other content of interest to investors to grab their attention. And an expert in cannabis PR has the connections with these sources so you’ll do more than just show up on their radar.

You’ll expand your reach to establish credibility and build trust.

2. Attracting Strong Workforce

It’s no secret that finding talent these days is beyond challenging. But if you’re not putting your company out there, how will potential employees know anything about you?

Thus, using PR to communicate your mission, culture, and values is not just a win for acquiring customers. It’s also going to attract the workforce you need to be a success; folks who share your vision and passion and want to be a part of something bigger.

You’ll be showing up in multiple places – communicating who you are as a leader and what you advocate. You can also take your story to social media to share information about what your team loves, what they won’t tolerate, and the whole arc in between. And be sure to be public about any of your team’s internal successes.

Speaking of social media…

3. Working Around Marketing Limitations

You might be wondering what the advantage of cannabis public relations is over any other PR company. It comes down to handling social media.

While you can use social media in the above example to tout your successes, you’re still not able to buy ads on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google, or any of the other popular social media platforms (though there are smaller independent ones where this isn’t as much of an issue). Due to the ongoing federal prohibition of cannabis, the larger social media platforms have chosen to ban a great deal of cannabis content. And this is a huge marketing hurdle.

So cannabis PR folks have had to figure out how to expand reach and communicate narratives for their clients without relying on solely on social media marketing. To do this, they leverage the power of earned media. Press releases, news articles, guest blog posts, and podcasts have become effective media for attracting new business.

These sources enable cannabis business owners to educate viewers, share their vantage point, and ultimately present themselves as a trusted resource. And that’s precisely what you want.

Harness the Power of Cannabis PR

If you’re ready to get serious about cannabis PR for your business, contact us today.

We’ve been at the forefront of cannabis public relations and marketing since the genesis of the industry.

Isn’t it time to see what we can do for you?

The post Why You Need Cannabis PR appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.

It starts with great ideas and a willingness to be connected with both the community where your business is located, as well as with those communities disproportionately affected by the “war on drugs.”

But you also need to work with someone who shares that passion while being highly connected with other industries – particularly that of broadcasting.

The Story of the Jerry Millen

Back in January, Jerry Millen thought about how getting vaccinated would go a long way toward helping folks return to some sense of normal. He began to ponder how he could encourage people to get vaccinated.

Millen, owner of the Greenhouse dispensary in Walled Lake, Michigan, is an exemplary example of what it means to give back to the community.

He’s sponsored events to help communities in need – including giving away turkeys at Thanksgiving and pulling together with other community leaders to raise $10,000 for presents for less fortunate families over the holidays.

Now his most recent endeavor, Pot for Shots, has gained both national and international attention.

What Is Pot for Shots?

At the date of publication of this post, the Greenhouse (in partnership with UBaked Cannabis in Burton, Michigan) is giving anyone over the age of 21 a free pre-rolled joint with proof of vaccination.

“If you choose to get the Covid vaccine (we always support the freedom of choice) this is our way of saying ‘thank you’ for helping to end this pandemic and getting us back to normal,” the company says on its website.

While the Greenhouse was one of the pioneers in this idea of giving back to those who are stepping up to get vaccinated, other industries have jumped on board. Krispy Kreme is offering one free doughnut per day for the rest of the year to anyone with proof of a Covid vaccination.

And movie theaters, breweries, and other businesses are offering freebies or discounts to their customers.

Some businesses are even offering their workers time off or extra pay to get vaccinated. These include Trader Joe’s, Target, and Chobani, to name a few. And, of course, most of us have heard of large companies such as these.

But how is it that the Greenhouse and its Pot for Shots program are showing up with them in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New York One TV, and even on Reuters and Russia Today?

Right out of the gate, Millen knew the importance of hiring one of the best PR guys in the country.

Getting International PR for a Cannabis Requires Expertise

Millen was fortunate to have a friendship with Mort Meisner – one of the top names in the television news business specifically and in the media in general. With a 35-year plus history in news media, Meisner knows his stuff.

And he knows people and how to connect.

Highly dynamic with seemingly endless energy, Meisner has an illustrious history working with a diverse cross section of businesses both nationally and internationally – and is now deeply involved in the cannabis industry.

He is the quintessential media expert who has the skillset to promote cannabis business products and services like no other. Millen knew he could count on Meisner to maximize every media opportunity to its fullest.

And he’s done exactly that.

Does Your Cannabis Business Need Stronger Public Relations

Getting national/international PR for a cannabis business is no easy feat. But with someone like Mort Meisner in your corner, you’ll have the best chance.

By far.

Contact us today to find out how we can boost your PR and marketing efforts to ensure that you really shine.

The post Getting National/International PR for a Cannabis Business appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.

For some of us, it’s still hard to shake the idea that we can now walk into a dispensary – albeit through tight security – and buy it legally.

But here we are. And we have the folks behind the early cannabis dispensaries and operations to thank. They fearlessly broke the rules to make marijuana available to the masses.

Game Changing Early Cannabis Dispensaries and Operations

The earliest operations were, of course, in other countries.

For example, a teahouse in Amsterdam called Mellow Yellow drew folks in the 1970s for its steady supply of hashish. The whole exchange process was clandestine, and the Dutch police were continually raiding it. But since the shop’s inventory was kept at a nearby bookshop, the police couldn’t ever find any of it.

Then there were the government-run stores along a street in Kathmandu that openly sold cannabis alongside restaurants and other retailers. Affectionately termed “Freak Street,” it was a huge destination for boot string travelers looking to score. Until, that is, the U.S. put the kibosh on that by pressuring the Nepalese king to outlaw cannabis.

Insert eye roll here.

Even so, there were American cannabis renegades who were willing to engage in civil disobedience to ensure cannabis was available to all. They served as the sherpas who guided the cannabis movement from its darker days into the light of regulated legal cultivation and distribution.

One such person was Dennis Peron who founded the San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club.

San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club

Distressed by the number of people who were seriously ill during the height of the AIDS crisis, Peron set out to find a way to provide cannabis to them.

Peron was no stranger to community organizing or civil disobedience. He’d been arrested multiple times. But that seemed to further fuel him to open the San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club in 1992 – long before medical marijuana was legal in California.

The Buyers Club was a non-profit collective whose primary objective was to supply cannabis to the gravely ill for free or at a deep discount. Patients needed only to produce a photo ID and a doctor’s recommendation to enter and purchase cannabis.

Understanding the importance of community and human connection for those who were ill, Peron provided on-site consumption as well.

Just a few months before the historic vote on Prop 215 – California’s landmark medical cannabis law – over a hundred heavily armed police officers raided the Buyers Club. Their out-and-out tactical assault on ill people made for bad press and it’s believed that this may have motivated previously undecided voters to support medical cannabis.

Prop 215 passed in 1996.

Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM)

Mike and Valerie Corral were also renegades.

When they discovered that cannabis could help control Valerie’s debilitating seizures, they started cultivating it. This resulted in several results. But that didn’t stop them from founding Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana in Santa Cruz, California in 1993. They wanted to help others facing the same struggle.

The Corrals were fortunate enough to have the support of Santa Cruz’s major and they openly distributed medical marijuana to terminal patients for free or on a sliding scale. They were also pivotal in the passing of Prop 215.

The DEA raided WAMM’s garden in 2002 and arrested the Corrals. Facing federal charges wasn’t enough to stop them. Two weeks later, they were on the steps of City Hall with the mayor of Santa Cruz, distributing medical cannabis to their terminally ill members. In the presence of an assembled community and massive media presence, they openly dared the DEA to arrest them again.

The DEA didn’t show. So WAMM enlisted help from the ACLU to successfully sue the Department of Justice. It was a key victory during a time when raids and arrests continued to be the norm.

Harborside Health Center

Steve DeAngelo had been a longtime activist and underground cannabis distributor before founding Harborside Health Center in Oakland, California in 2006.

What made Harborside unique was it invited local politicians and the press into its large and comfortable retail operation. This lessened the stigma around dispensaries.

DeAngelo also co-founded the nation’s first lab testing facility for medical marijuana. And seeing media as an ally, he helped bring attention to CBD and develop new CBD strains, and educate millions through the program Weed Wars on the Discovery Channel.

Harborside has repeatedly taken on the federal government in battles over everything from decriminalizing marijuana to tax policy on dispensaries.

Denver Relief

Colorado’s second oldest cannabis dispensary, Denver Relief, opened in 2009 by Kayvan Khalatbari, along with partners Ean Seeb and Nick Hice. While they knew they wanted to build a business empire, they never lost sight of the importance of giving back to the community.

Khalatbari has also founded a pizzeria, a cannabis consulting firm, and a free arts magazine. He’s also helped to foster a thriving local comedy scene by marketing his products through culture and community events rather than hype.

These days, Khalatbari is running for mayor of Denver. His platform focuses on activism around homelessness, the arts, and cannabis. He’s come a long way since those early days.

Could Your Cannabis Business Use More Press?

There’s no doubt that current provisioning centers have it easier than those early cannabis dispensaries. They have certainly served as models for what can be though.

So if your cannabis business believes in and acts on giving back to the local community, contact us for your cannabis public relations needs.

Reaching a wider audience will not only strengthen your business, but it will improve the lives of so many around you.

The post Trailblazing Early Cannabis Dispensaries appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.