A Medical Patient’s Experience in a Recreational Cannabis Market

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When the State of Nevada announced it’s plans to implement recreational cannabis sales on July 1st of this year, I was elated. Cannabis has not only been proven to have medicinal benefits for a wide variety of health issues, but it can also induce relaxation, creativity, an elevated mindset, and even can help you lose weight! Plus, the war on drugs has been an overt failure, and making a substance that is less dangerous than alcohol or cigarettes illegal is asinine. But, I digress.

 

After my initial excitement about what recreational cannabis could mean for the progress of the cannabis industry in Nevada, I started thinking about the number of individuals that consume cannabis. I also started thinking about the number of tourists from all over America and the world that visit Vegas per year. Then I started to get nervous. I’m a medical patient, and I use cannabis to treat a variety of symptoms from depression, anxiety, and IBS. I rely on access to cannabis to feel better. I started wondering, amidst distribution disputes, if getting medical cannabis would be more difficult. (After about a month of recreational sales, we have heard these fears were unfounded). I went to a few different dispensaries to see for myself.

 

Luckily, my experience overall was pleasant. There were a TON of people lined up to buy cannabis, at all hours of the day, but most dispensaries have implemented separate lines for medical patients so that your wait time is shorter. I timed myself, and I spent under 30 minutes in most dispensaries, from check in to cash out. I was also worried about pricing. We’ve all heard rumors that 8ths were going to jump from $25 to $80! In reality, the price hike was modest – about a $10 – $15 increase across the board. But what about a cannabis shortage?! I will admit, dispensaries were running out of my favorite strains a bit quicker than usual, but there was still a wide selection to choose from, and some dispensaries have even reserved particular strains for medical patients only!

 

After all was said and done, I found that my anxiety over the issue was largely unnecessary. I ended up with concentrates, flower, edibles, and even a transdermal patch, paid a moderate amount, and spent way less time that I was anticipating waiting in line. The cannabis industry in Nevada is stepping up to meet the demand of both recreational and medical patients. As distribution licenses are awarded and dispensaries fine-tune their processes, I think the entire experience will remain positive for everyone.

Vegas Cannabis Summit Breaksdown the Ins and Outs of Advertising

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The newly launched adult use market in Nevada has opened its doors for a variety of opportunities in the cannabis industry without ever touching the plant. 

Social Media Unicorn’s CEO Krista Whitley is among the panelists slated to support the leading cannabis professionals operating in the emerging Nevada, California and national marketplace.

The Vegas Cannabis Summit presents leaders of this new frontier and welcomes this exciting entrepreneurial community for a 2-day, 2-night event, featuring panels and educational seminars from industry experts, a vendor trade show, VIP events and concerts.

This two day conference will cover topics ranging from regulation and compliance, to advertising and media and the continued transition of the legal cannabis market, its entrepreneurs, investors and creatives, to be taken safely and seriously into mainstream culture.

We welcome artists, executives, lifestyle brands, technology professionals, investors, college students (21+) entrepreneurs and visionaries to present, educate and share.

We provide the opportunity for individuals from diverse backgrounds to engage in an environment that’s conducive to sharing information & creative collaborations.

The conference organizers and creators have an established track record as a curator of talent and experience with another successful conference, Vegas Music Summit.

Panels include:

  • Cannabis Budtenders, Chefs, Extractors & Growers: The New Celebrity Chef?
  • Building Cannabis Brands, Traditional & Social Media Marketing & Entertainment 
  • Media, Journalism & Content
  • Professional Sports & Cannabis
  • How To Get A Job In The Cannabis Industry
This year’s event will be held at :
 
Backstage Bar & Billiards
601 E Fremont St
Las Vegas, NV 89101

Phone number(702) 382-2227

Here’s How Social Media Has Changed Everything

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From digital advertising to crowdfunding and social justice, ever since the inception of MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter social media has changed the way the world communicates. A newly released infographic “The Conservation Prism 5.0”  might be the key to grasping today’s complicated and ever crowded social media landscape. 

Originally launched in 2008 by Brian Solis, an author and digital analyst at Altimeter Group,  the aptly-named “Conversation Prism” — designed with creative agency JESS3 —  continues to be a popular frame of reference among the digital marketing community. 

The Conversation Prism is best described as a visual map of the social media landscape. While it hasn’t been updated since 2013, The Conversation Prism is an ongoing study in digital ethnography that tracks dominant and promising social networks and organizes them by how they’re used in everyday life. 

In the latest rendition, Solis removed 84 companies, added 141, and created four new categories: messaging, crowdfunding, travel and hospitality, and connecting IRL.

One thing that has remained the same is the center of the Conversation Prism….You! 

 

“It’s meant to remind the viewer that social media is about the people in the center of their online experiences. Social media is much more than a series of broadcast networks. You shape the experiences of others as they shape your online experiences,” Solis said in an interview with Mashable.  

The next ring indicates how “you” can interact with a network,  how  you can impact the networks, while the outer ring shows all the categories of the networks, which “you” can interact with to create your own brand and community. 

Check it out below! 

 

conversation-prism

Here’s Why Cannabis Collabs Are the Next Big Thing

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When it comes to growing your brand, strategic partnerships can be a highly effective way to build your businesses.

This is particularly true in the new legal cannabis space. As more and more new states legalize marijuana for both medical and adult use, this offers a unique opportunity for existing cannabis brands to grow nationally through partnerships with cannabis retail stores and dispensaries. 

One of the greatest opportunities for cannabis retailers is to create strategic partnerships with the brands they carry. The key behind the strategic partnerships are offering a win/win for all parties involved.

“Much like how Paul Mitchell has partnered with the salons that carry their caviar-goldhair products, I am seeing successful cannabis lifestyle brands like Caviar Gold starting to partner with cannabis dispensaries to help them drive sales before the cannabis consumer even walks through the door,” social media expert Krista Whitley explained. 

When brands function as an extension of the cannabis dispensary team they can achieve an incredibly unique consumer experience that screams premium. 

Whitley, who launched The Weekend Box, curates the best of the best in Nevada’s cannabis products. 

“When dispensary owners can connect to the community through a shared love of cannabis they tap into a virtually endless stream of talented employees and consumers,” Whitley added.  

RETAIL MARIJUANA IN LAS VEGAS: Reality Check Over Fairy Tales

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If you’re watching the evening news across the nation about Las Vegas’ retail marijuana industry, you may find yourself convinced of some pretty inaccurate information. As someone who has lived here for 18 years and been involved in the industry since early days, it is my pleasure to provide a reality check. Here are some fairy tales you may be hearing:

*Las Vegas is running out of weed! Reality Check: Nevada has 87 licensed producers and cultivators, who are all actively growing and producing incredible product. With the controversy surrounding liquor distributors in Nevada, most dispensaries did the wise thing and stocked up before July 1st. The reality is that they may certainly be low or sold out of your favorite product, but no dispensary is completely sold out of marijuana and the regulators in Nevada are working overtime to ensure emergency measures are put into place to allow for retail deliveries. This speed bump should be resolved by the end of the coming week. There’s plenty of marijuana for retail consumers to purchase. This is NOT weedpocalypse.

*Eighths of marijuana are selling for $80. Reality Check: Where?! No, really, because I’ve been into every dispensary from July 1-9 and I can’t find an $80 eighth. I was trying because I saw it on the CBS nightly news, so I had to see it with my own eyes. The increased retail taxes have increased the average price of an eighth, but it has been 15-20% to account for the tax increase. You can still find eighths of quality cannabis flower at dispensaries in the $30-40 range. If you find that $80 eighth can you share it with me? I want to know what is in it and who was clueless enough to pay that much!

*You can smoke on the Las Vegas strip! Reality Check: Please don’t. No, really. It’s illegal to consume in public places and you’ll get an expensive fine for doing so. Plus, you make the rest of us law abiding cannabis consumers look like jerks. Help the cause of normalization and follow the law by only consuming out of public view in private places. Nevada is the most regulated cannabis ecosystem in the world today, so help us lead the way by following our laws.

*Lines are around the block. Reality Check: So true! From open to close, seven days a week we are seeing lines around the block at most locations. The dispensary teams are working tirelessly to ensure that every retail and medical consumer receives a positive experience. The average high in Las Vegas is over 100 degrees, so the wait is long and hot, but I heard so many people say that they’ve been waiting for retail marijuana sales for years and they’re happy to continue waiting. Most dispensaries have a medical only line for patients and the wait for those patients has been eliminated.

The retail marijuana industry in Las Vegas is thriving. We experienced an estimated $5 million in retail sales in the first 3 days, which will help our public education system. Las Vegas has the worst public education system in all 50 states- literally rock bottom. As a mother of two girls who are in school this is a cause I care deeply about. Our children deserve better and cannabis consumers deserve to enjoy the normalization of consumption that all of us advocates have lobbied in favor of.

Get your Vegas Weekend Box to experience the best that the Las Vegas cannabis industry has to offer. Order yours NOW! 

3 Social Media Pro Tips To Gain Brand Exposure

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Social media has drastically shifted the way we communicate on an interpersonal level. From keeping in touch with the day to day lives of family and friends to dramatically shifting the way consumers choose products and services, some would argue social media has overtaken our daily lives. 

To mark this major shift in marketing, advertising and sales, we celebrated Social Media Day 2017 at the Red Flint Las Vegas Experience Center to gain insight and pro-tips from industry veterans. 

Offer a Win-Win

When there are a million and one apps, websites, and online boutiques its difficult to figure out exactly how to make your social media account stand out against the competition. Going into your social media strategy looking to not only sell your product, but also create a winning environment for your audience is paramount, Krista Whitley, CEO of Social Media Unicorn, a marketing and sales agency for luxury cannabis businesses explained.

Authentic Connections Matter Most

Creating a robust online community is a terrific way to connect one-on-one while building relationships with a larger audience and industry influencers.

Cat Goldberg, founder of Brainbuzz, shares “Social media allows you to be in front of your target customer’s eyes while also engaging them in conversation,” Goldberg says. “This authentic connection will make them more curious about you.”

Find Out What People Want and See That They Get It

“Just because you can post anything, doesn’t mean you should everything,” explained Richard Krawczyk at the June 30 panel.

In fact, Krawczyk believes positivity is the secret sauce to success when it comes to growing your brand online. 

“When you wake up in the morning your first  thought should be how many people can I help today,” he added. 

For more tips check out this recap in Inc. written by CTO of ROCeteer and Social Media Day Las Vegas panelist Heather Wilde. 

Advice From a Baby Unicorn

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Almost everyone I know has a Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. It’s not uncommon to utilize these platforms for personal use every day, multiple times a day. In fact, social media has become such a huge part of our lives that it’s changing the ways in which companies are connecting with their consumers. But what do you do when it’s your job to do the connecting? 
 
Most of us have utilized social media for personal use, but very few of us have actual experience managing a professional company’s social media page. I’ve been doing this for a long, long time now (a week), and I’ve learned a few lessons that could help you if you’re just getting started in the social media biz. 
 
  1. Get to know your brands 
When you’re handed a few different companies and asked to start producing content for their social media pages, it can feel a little like getting chucked in the deep end without your floaties. “Where to begin,” I asked my cat. She didn’t know. 
So I started by doing a little digging. I scrolled back as far as I could through their Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. I googled the company, and read news articles or watched reviews on the product. A sense of continuity is important, and you want to stay as true to your brand’s “voice” as possible. What kind of articles did they share before? What’s the culture like? Who looks at their posts? Answering these questions is the first step toward becoming a social media posting pro.
 
  1. Ask as many questions as you can think of 
Your team members are there for a reason – use them! If you’re unsure if something will be received in the right way, or if it’s a good fit for the audience you’re trying to reach, ASK SOMEONE. Send it to your supervisor or a friend and see what they think. Getting a fresh perspective is so helpful. If it’s possible, hop on a phone call with the representatives from the company and ask them your questions. Get a feel for what they’re looking for, and keep the lines of communication open. The only stupid question is one that goes unasked, so be honest about the things you’re unsure about. It’s the only way to learn! 
 
  1. Don’t be afraid to get creative 
Posting the same standby pics of the products packaging or logo can get boring, for you and for users viewing the page. Don’t be afraid to veer off the beaten track and post a funny video or meme, as long as it’s in keeping with the image the brand is trying to convey. If you think a picture or a video might be too weird to post, refer to #2 on this list. Same with captions – don’t be afraid to use an alluring alliteration or quippy pun to get your point across. Social media is about engaging with the real live people on the other end of the screen, so make it conversational. Make it funny. Make it personal. Whatever the situation calls for, a little creativity goes a long way. 
 
  1. Don’t take anything personally 
It’s hard not to get that pit in your stomach when you’re told something you’ve done needs to be changed, or even taken down completely. Just remember – it’s not personal. You’re representing a brand, and you want to make sure that you represent them accurately. Take the  criticism as constructive feedback, and use it to realign yourself with your brand’s goals and vision. Again, refer to #2. Ask as many questions about what went wrong with the post as you can think of so that you can be sure to not repeat the same mistakes in the future. Thankfully, no one expects you to become a social media master in 7 days, so learn as much as you can and your team will be patient with you. 
 
  1. Have fun! 
Seriously, your job is to post on social media. There’s a lot that goes into it, but the first thing should be a sense of enjoyment. If you’re stressed or uninterested in what you’re doing, it will come across in your posts. Get your creative juices flowing and approach everything with a smile. Chances are, if something you’re creating makes you laugh, smile, snort, chuckle, etc then it’ll be engaging to the consumer viewing the post as well. Social media is fun! Fun to use personally, and fun to use for business once you’ve started to get the hang of it. 
 
 
If you’re just starting out in the social media space, like me, then these five tips can go a long way in helping you get your footing. I’m lucky enough to have a pack of magical unicorns around me, guiding me in the right direction. With some help from your team, and a little ingenuity on your part, you’ll be a pro in no time – that’s what I keep telling myself anyways!