Twitter cannabis promotion for B2B and B2C

On February 14, 2023, Twitter became the first major social media platform to allow cannabis advertising for both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) brands and companies. In an announcement posted to the Twitter website, the company said it had relaxed its cannabis advertising policy in certain US states to create more opportunities for responsible cannabis marketing.

As a result of this change, Twitter stated that advertisers can now promote “brand preference and informational cannabis-related content for CBD, THC, and cannabis-related products and services.”

Why Twitter changed its stance on cannabis advertising

In its announcement and other publicly available messages related to the change in cannabis advertising, Twitter has cited the growing number of cannabis conversations already taking place among users on its platform as a key catalyst.

“As the cannabis industry has expanded, so has the conversation on Twitter… The cannabis section of Twitter is fun and energizing for users who tweet about their experiences of using cannabis – whether medicinal, for wellness or recreational – as well as recommend brands and products , and retail locations. The conversation also reflects where the cannabis industry is currently heading: legal/policy reforms, business development and community impact.”

Based on these statements, it’s clear that Twitter understands that cannabis has evolved over the past few years and old policies no longer make sense. At the same time, the company has been in the news over the past few months after a number of large advertisers exited the platform and revenue plummeted. It’s not a big leap to assume that at least part of the decision to allow cannabis advertising was money.

Regardless of why the company made the change right now, this is excellent news for cannabis and related businesses whose audiences are active on Twitter. However, there are rules that still make it difficult for a cannabis brand to advertise on Twitter.

New rules and guidelines for cannabis advertising on Twitter

Twitter has updated its Ad Content Policy related to drugs and drug paraphernalia to include specific language for cannabis ads in the United States. Specifically, Twitter’s new policy states, “We permit approved advertisers of cannabis (including CBD – cannabinoids) to target the United States.”

However, there is a list of restrictions that advertisers must meet and adhere to. For example, advertisers must be licensed by the relevant authorities (something that can be verified at the state level using the Cannabiz Media License Database). Cannabis advertisers must also be pre-authorized by Twitter. This includes both B2B and B2C advertisers.

Additionally, advertisers may only target countries in which they are licensed and they may not target customers under the age of 21. Each advertiser is responsible for complying with all laws, rules, regulations, and advertising policies, which means it is the responsibility of the advertiser to understand all applicable laws when running an ad through Twitter.

It gets even more complicated when you consider the various content-related restrictions. Cannabis advertisers may not advertise or offer the sale of cannabis (including CBD) in their ads. The only exception is ads for topical hemp-derived CBD products that contain 0.3% or less THC. Ads may not make claims about the efficacy or health benefits of cannabis, show or depict a cannabis product in use, depict people using or under the influence of drugs, or use false or misleading claims.

Additionally, cannabis ads may not appeal to minors. This includes not only the advertising material, but also landing pages, which must be age-restricted. The sale must be age verified and ads must not encourage transportation across state lines. Finally, ads may not use minors or pregnant women as models, nor may they use characters, athletes, celebrities, or images/icons that appeal to minors.

Twitter special offer for cannabis advertisers

To boost cannabis ad sales, Twitter has a special offer that runs through March 31, 2023. Any cannabis brand that buys up to $250,000 in new advertising will receive $1-$1 in exchange from Twitter to spend on additional advertising on the platform.

Cannabis companies don’t have to spend as much money to place ads on Twitter. Unlike other industries, which have a minimum purchase of $5,000 to $10,000 to advertise on Twitter, the company does not currently require a minimum purchase from cannabis companies.

Tips for B2B and B2C cannabis promotion on Twitter

Despite all of these limitations, there are ways for companies working in and with the cannabis industry to successfully comply with the rules and run effective ads on Twitter.

Importantly, Twitter has stated that it expects cannabis ads and related conversations on the platform to be educational, so cannabis ads on the platform should prioritize education. According to Twitter, this is what they want.

With that in mind, Twitter can be a great place for lead generation, brand awareness, and top-of-the-funnel promotion. It may not be a great place for end-of-funnel promotion and sales conversions. Everything remains to be seen, so testing will be the key to success.

In the past, to stand a chance of getting a cannabis or cannabis-related ad approved, brands had to be extremely careful to avoid using text or images in their ads that referenced cannabis in any way. They also had to be sure that the landing page the ad linked to didn’t mention cannabis. The associated website could not directly or indirectly advertise cannabis either.

Therefore, cannabis advertisers would have to set up two different websites or be really clever with the words they use in their ads, landing pages and websites. Otherwise, one of two things would happen: your ads would not be approved, or they would eventually be caught, which could result in an account ban.

Honestly, Twitter promotion for cannabis and related businesses should be easier now. In the future, brands should be able to include words like cannabis, marijuana, CBD, hemp, and pharmacy in ads, landing pages, and website copy. However, there are a few things to consider when developing your creative assets that should improve the chances of Twitter approving your ads.

For cannabis-related B2B brands, be sure to use images and messaging that make it clear that you are not selling any plant-touching products or services. For B2C brands, avoid using creative content that may target minors, display product use, or make health claims.

As I mentioned above, testing is key until we know more about how Twitter’s new cannabis ads will actually work. If you’re willing to try it, you need to be approved by Twitter first.

Key takeaways on Twitter cannabis advertising for B2B and B2C

As Twitter noted in its official announcement of its new cannabis advertising policy, the cannabis conversation on Twitter in the United States “is larger than conversation around topics like pets, cooking and golf, and food and beverage categories, including fast food, coffee, and Spirits.”

The scope of the conversation makes it clear that while Twitter may be the first social media platform to relax cannabis advertising restrictions, it won’t be the last. Now it’s time to start preparing by developing a great website with useful content for your audience(s) so you can start building your brand reputation and website authority.

Leverage content marketing, search engine optimization, email marketing, influencer marketing, and organic social media marketing to build a solid foundation. So when it’s time to start promoting on social media channels, Google and more, you’re all set!