Marketers Share Why Cannabis Ads Are Becoming Less Promotional and More Educational

In an industry long shut out of mainstream digital advertising, cannabis brands are finding opportunity in alternative channels and owned media as major platforms continue to impose restrictions. That outlook began to shift in 2023, when X, then known as Twitter, became the first major social media platform to allow cannabis brands to advertise. It was a cautious but meaningful change in how the industry can reach consumers.

At the same time, individual states regulate and limit how cannabis is advertised. This lead to marketers, copywriters, and brands having to challenge themselves on what they will do to work around the loopholes to get in front of the eyes of cannabis enthusiasts and casual viewers. 

Social media policies around cannabis advertising remain uneven across platforms. Tumblr explicitly allows cannabis and CBD ads in states where marijuana is legal, provided advertisers use geo-targeting and age-gating. Meta platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, continue to prohibit paid advertising for THC and cannabis products, though they allow limited ads for hemp-derived CBD with proper certifications and strict compliance, as well as organic posts focused on education or culture rather than direct sales. 

TikTok maintains one of the strictest stances, banning paid cannabis advertising entirely, while permitting some non-promotional, educational, or lifestyle content related to cannabis.

Regulatory limitations did not slow companies that had workarounds. The New York Office of Cannabis Management launched its statewide “Higher Education” campaign in 2025, educating adults 21+ about safe and legal cannabis use. Around the same time, LGBTQ+ brand Flamer collaborated with drag performer and RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Sasha Colby to release a signature pre‑roll line, “Sasha Colby Kush,” combining product innovation with cultural storytelling.

Marketers say the fragmented landscape of state laws and platform restrictions has fundamentally reshaped how cannabis brands advertise, pushing strategies away from broad national campaigns and toward highly targeted, compliance-driven approaches.

Reaching Ideal Customers Through Targeted Content

Rather than marketing at scale, brands are leaning heavily into hyper-local targeting, creating state, city, and even neighborhood-specific content to reach clearly defined audiences. Partnerships with regional and niche publications have become more valuable, allowing advertisers to stay compliant while connecting directly with their ideal customers. Marketers note that while this is partly a regulatory necessity, it also aligns with best marketing practices by forcing sharper audience focus.

Jon Lowen, co-founder and co-CEO of Surfside, said that most cannabis regulations are not designed to restrict demand, but rather to control creative content, inventory placement, and audience eligibility. Lowen added that non-compliant audiences are typically the same groups that do not purchase, meaning performance-based advertising naturally aligns with state-by-state regulatory objectives.

“Fragmented regulations do limit economies of scale and make national, one-size-fits-all campaigns unrealistic,” said Lowen. “As a result, brands and retailers have shifted toward [hyper-local strategies] built around state-specific compliance, retailer-owned inventory, and localized messaging. While this increases operational complexity, it has driven more disciplined execution.”

Navigating Regulatory Complexity While Growing Ad Spend

Cannabis advertising spend has grown over the last few years as more consumers and businesses enter legal markets. According to industry data gathered by Gitnux, In 2023, U.S. cannabis companies spent an estimated $1 billion on marketing and advertising, with total digital ad expenditure reaching about $1.5 billion, up roughly 30 % year over year. Cannabis ad spend overall was projected to reach $2.6 billion by 2024, reflecting continued investment despite regulatory complexities.

Kristine Palmer, co-founder of Over Coffee Consulting, said that the most successful strategy has been a continued focus on improving the company’s owned website. Palmer added efforts such as optimizing for SEO and AI-driven search, enhancing site content and structure, and prioritizing organic discovery have driven nearly 200% year-over-year growth in organic search traffic.

“We are still very successful in our major digital platforms, you just have to be creative in [how to word the copy in ads] and on landing pages,” she said. “The alternative channels have not produced as much direct revenue as we hope, but it is still an important part of a comprehensive marketing strategy through creating brand awareness.”

In 2025, several cannabis brands focused on education, wellness, and transparency as core elements of their content led marketing strategies, reflecting the idea that values driven messaging builds consumer trust and engagement. Charlotte’s Web offers educational resources, including blogs, podcasts, and videos focused on CBD science, wellness benefits, and safe usage, helping to establish authority and normalize cannabis in health conversations. Similarly, Wana Brands has cultivated a strong community on TikTok by producing guides and educational content that assist consumers, especially new users, in understanding product use, dosing, and benefits, fostering both loyalty and advocacy.

“This type of content marketing strategy always increases consumer trust and engagement because it helps customers decide for themselves who they want to purchase from and be confident in the company or provider they are working with,” said Palmer. 

Even with restrictions on Meta, Google, and Amazon, cannabis brands can still advertise through many mainstream and premium publishers. Success comes from reaching the right audience at the right time, giving brands flexibility to grow and connect effectively.

“The industry has learned that effective cannabis marketing is not about replacing restricted platforms, but about building data-driven, omnichannel strategies where inventory, targeting, and measurement are purpose-built for the category,” said Lowen.