Marijuana use in the United States today exists in a tenuous state. Currently legal for recreational use by adults in 4 states and the District of Columbia, 12 more states have ballot initiatives planned for November, yet as states make their own rules, marijuana use remains a federal offense. That means that your local cops may not be able to arrest you for smoking pot, but you can still be charged in federal court.
If the implications of state-by-state marijuana legislation are tenuous for individuals, marketing cannabis-based products has become something of a shadow market of its own. Companies that manufacture such items want to to set their products apart from competitors, but compared to marketing breakfast cereal or blue jeans, they face a much more complicated market.
Risk, Recreation, or Rx: An Industry Balances Public Concern
It’s to be expected that marijuana – and the companies that want to market marijuana-related products – face something of an image problem when we live in a world where parents send their teens to rehab for smoking pot and cannabis-fueled tourists land in the emergency room after consuming an entire pot brownie. Regardless of whether or not marijuana is addictive, many Americans associate it with risk and view it as a gateway drug that will lead to more serious problems.
Marketers, then, have to balance the interests of companies interested in portraying their product as a small pleasure, not dissimilar to having a beer with friends, purveyors who would prefer to hold to a medical use narrative, and concerned figures who advocate against legalization.
The easiest narratives for the public to accept have been those that focus on medical use. Adults who use cannabis products while undergoing chemotherapy or to reduce MS symptoms have helped make this story the dominant one when people discuss legalization, and that makes it a natural match for marketers. Advertising companies can do a lot with human interest stories and other value-based tales. We like brands that live their values. It’s harder to find a tale of triumph or recovery in young adults smoking with their friends, however.
A New Face For Illicit Drugs?
Of the states that currently allow for recreational marijuana use, Colorado has seen the most marketing innovation, with companies seeking to leave the “stoner” image behind. Companies are adopting the kind of natural catch-phrases employed by Whole Foods, talking about their products as organic or locally-grown. It seems to be catching on with some buyers, but health conscious populations are unlikely to take such labeling on board as though marijuana is just the next kale.
No, if marketers want to succeed in growing the market for marijuana, they’ll need to directly address concerns about addiction and drug use more broadly, included testaments from former users who are now actively anti-drug. Much like marketing alcohol, an undertaking that has had to carefully skirt issues like drunk driving and rampant alcoholism in some communities, marijuana’s marketers will need to balance health and hype. It’s an uphill battle and one that will likely see more media scrutiny as the November referendums approach.
Originally posted on August 19, 2016 @ 5:30 am