California has recently become overrun with businesses attempting to sell cannabis since the state’s legislation made recreational marijuana use legal. This also came with a rush for the California departments responsible for overseeing the proper use of it to create new laws and rules that would govern the proper use of cannabis. Although marijuana is considered legal and able to be purchased in California, it does not mean that businesses are freely able to advertise and market their businesses and products (Gunelius, 2018).
These laws include regulations and legislation that state exactly how businesses are allowed to market cannabis. Under California legislation, a business is not allowed to ignore including their licensee number on any marketing or advertising whether that is commercials, publications, billboards, on technology platforms, etc. Another regulation is that businesses are not able to give any products in relations to cannabis for free when they are marketing their products. And the most important is that advertising is that the marketing is not allowed to be near schools or suggested to any persons under the age of 21. This includes television channels that possibly have 71 percent of viewers under that age (CBPC, 2018).
Internet websites that support the advertising of cannabis such as Weedmaps, do not feel that the law should include their Internet webpage posts. If you do not know already, Weedmaps gives the location of marijuana selling businesses that can be looked up through their search database. Weedmaps believes that they should be free to post a businesses’ advertisement, because they do not fall under the same jurisdiction. These laws mean that any company or ad agency could be in trouble with large fines if they do not know about the current legislation and Weedmaps will have to start relying on other forms of advertising if they want to stay afloat.
These rules do not consider how they will be affecting other businesses that rely on advertising, but do not sell marijuana. There is one thing that is available to businesses if they are not sure about the California laws regarding their marketing and that is a recent influx of law firms that assist startups and entrepreneurs related to cannabis.
References:
California Business and Professions Code, 2018. Division 10, Chapter 15. 26150 – 26156.
Gunelius, S. (2018, May 25). Marijuana Advertising Rules Challenge California Businesses. Retrieved October 7, 2018, from https://cannabiz.media/marijuana-advertising-rules-challenge-california-businesses/
– Samantha Stewart
4 Responses to California Laws Disable Cannabis Marketing Avenues