Canada has entered a whole new market after legalizing recreational cannabis in October 2018. Well aware of the possible explosion in advertising, the federal government and cities like Kelowna are working hard to ensure that cannabis products are promoted in a safe and healthy way. While this legislation may seem daunting to navigate, we have a few guidelines that will hopefully make things more manageable.
Kelowna Moves Forward
Recently, the city of Kelowna has taken steps towards approving local dispensaries. Before setting up shop, marijuana dispensaries must get approval from the city council to rezone their property and obtain provincial license, as well as a city business license.
City officials received 41 applications to open retail stores shortly after the October 2018 legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada. While some in Kelowna are moving on to rezoning review, others were submitted to a lottery because their locations were too close together.
This 2018 legislation made Canada only the second country in the world and first major economy to legalize recreational cannabis.
Marketing Cannabis Products
What does all this mean for the marketing that comes with a new market? With legalization, Canada also implemented strict guidelines on how, when and where one can promote products. At the core of the guidelines is an effort to establish limits on the strength of cannabis products and to ensure deterrence of children and young adults.
The federal government strictly prohibits the use of cartoons and celebrity endorsements. Also, packaging must be child-resistant and plain without flashy design that attracts curious youth. You will want to ensure that your bran stands out from your competitors, while ensuring it abides by the new regulations.
Focus on information and brand
As the marijuana economy finds its foothold and the federal government reviews marketing guidelines, businesses can stay in compliance by focusing on sharing factual product and brand information.
Stick to factual promotions about:
- Cannabis characteristics
- Cannabis accessories
- A service related to cannabis
- Availability or price
In these promotions you can highlight brand preference by noting brand or service characteristics; keep it simple and fact-based.
Online promotions
In an effort to ensure that children and young adults are not exposed to cannabis marketing, the federal government requires steps to validate age before accessing online information. Health Canada notes that single-click age verification— “Yes” or “No”— is insufficient and not in compliance.
Verification steps can include:
- Require manual entry of date of birth plus age authorization.
- Pop-up messaging or website blocking messaging that reiterates that children and young adults may not view promotional content.
- Website messaging that children and young adults may not purchase cannabis products.
Give consideration to making sure the user experience as engaging as possible, while still ensuring guidelines are met. Yes, you need to verify a user before allowing them to enter the store, but get creative as to what that experience looks and feels like for the user.
Create compliant marketing and package design
As you create and establish your business, the last thing you want is to inadvertently encourage misuse or underage use of cannabis products; much less fall into violation of federal and local laws. Avoid the advertising missteps of alcohol and tobacco with design and marketing techniques that speak to the product’s health and medical benefits.
Work with an inbound marketing team
With the vast number of restrictions surrounding the marketing of cannabis products, it’s often best to consult a professional that both understands inbound marketing and Canadian cannabis legislation.
Let’s talk today about your digital end-to-end needs, from design to development to content. We will help you navigate this new and exciting cannabis industry and will ensure that your marketing strategy is in line with your target audience and appeases the new guidelines.
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