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4 Things You Should Know About New Recreational Cannabis In Nevada

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Nevada’s new cannabis laws go into effect on July 1st.

This year alone the city has welcomed more than  17,000,000 visitors and that doesn’t even include the summer months.

Come July 1st Nevada locals and the millions of visitors age 21 and up will soon be able to walk into a dispensary and purchase cannabis similar to dispensaries in Denver. 

Here are four things you should know before making Nevada the next stop for your next canna vaycay. 

How much is this going to cost me? 

The wholesale tax that dispensaries pay when purchasing product has increased as part of Adult Use.  There will also be different taxes applied to transactions dependent upon whether you are a medical patient or a recreational customer. 

Where Does The Money Go? 

 

Revenue from the tax on Nevada’s recreational sales is projected to stimulate approximately $7.5 billion in economic activity in the first seven years of sales. That’s a lot of cash! So here’s where it’ll go.

The state’s Opportunity Scholarships are slated to receive a whopping $20 million boost. An additional $25 million is slated to go to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), with the remainder going to the State’s general fund. 

Do I Still Need My Medical Marijuana Card? 

Yes! It will save you money in the long run because medical cannabis products will be taxed at a lower rate than recreational sales. Beginning July 1st, recreational customers will have a 10% excise tax applied to their transactions. 

What’s the Legal Limit? 

State possession limits are still capped at 2.5 ounces for medical patients and 1 ounce for recreational consumers.

The current law that limits medical marijuana patients to 70 grams in a two-week period is also ending under the new provisions.

Planning a trip to Vegas? Check out CannabisInVegas.com for info on the top dispensaries and must have products in Sin City!

Everything You Need To Know About The D.C. Cannabis Scene

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Our nation’s capital legalized cannabis back in 2014, but there’s no tax-and-regulate system in place, meaning there’s still a long way to go before D.C. becomes the District of Cannabis.

Here at Social Media Unicorn, our team is constantly keeping our fingers on the pulse of cannabis scenes across the nation and abroad. If you’re heading to the District as a cannatourist, here are some tips you need to know.

Dispensaries Are All But Non Existent

Unlike California, Nevada, Colorado, and Oregon, all states where those 21+ can legally consume cannabis, D.C. cannabis laws are a bit more ambivalent. Today residents and visitors alike are bound by frustrating laws that allow possession, but prohibit sales. In short, scoring legal weed in D.C., while pretty easy, gives off the feel of an old school street deal, and arrests for still-illegal deals have hit pre-legalization levels.

The Facts on D.C. Cannabis Laws

It is legal for a person who is at least 21 years old to possess two ounces or less of marijuana, transfer one ounce or less of marijuana to another person who is at least 21 years old, however so no payment or any other type of exchange of goods or services. 

Statistics from the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department show a large increase in the number of distribution busts in 2016, with the 220 arrests more than doubling the number seen in 2013, the year before residents voted to loosen pot laws.

So, Selling Cannabis Is Still Illegal? 

In short, yes. While residents are welcome to cultivate up to six marijuana plants and possess marijuana-related  paraphernalia – like bongs or rolling papers, congress has blocked regulated dispensaries. So how do visitors legally obtain cannabis if you can’t buy it?

Tech Has Taken Care of That

“Marijuana events are going on all the time now,” the Gentleman Toker, a D.C. cannabis blog explained. Also, so-called weed “search engines” like LeafedIn also offer a way to find opportunities to get the gift of cannabis. 

The Most Useful Social Media Automation Functions

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Did you know that you can put your brand’s social media activity on auto-pilot? It takes some strategy, just like anything else. But there are tools out there that can definitely make you feel like a one-person social media department. 

These tools have many different functions, and not all of them are going to be useful or economical for your brand. In fact, everyday social media users have grown savvy to some of the automated tools out there and can spot automated activity a mile away. 

You don’t have to go “full robot” – here are the most useful automation functions you can start using right away to politely grow your social media accounts.

Scheduling

For those of us (most of us) who are simply not around to post on their channels all day, managing social media can seem like a daunting task. Signing on and posting takes precious minutes that we could be spending on another task. 

Scheduling tools can be found through software services like Hootsuite or Buffer, or, you can schedule future posts to a brand’s Facebook Page for free, right inside the Facebook platform. That way, you can schedule posts out for the week (or the month) in one sitting. 

Engaging

There are apps and tools out there to make it seem like you are liking, commenting and engaging with others’ posts on Twitter and Instagram. Typically it requires you to target the type of user, or a hashtag in order for the “robot” to find people to interact with. 

Unfortunately, there aren’t yet automation tools for engaging with Facebook posts. You will have to engage authentically there by liking and commenting on existing posts. 

Following

On Instagram and Twitter, the amount of followers you get is proportional to the amount of time you spend following other similar accounts. Easy to do for those of us who live on our phones – but for a busy entrepreneur? Not so much. 

Auto-follow, and more importantly, auto-unfollow tools are some of the most valuable in the social media world. Nobody in their right mind could sit and follow 400 new users per day with their thumbs, but with automation, it’s more than possible. 

We’re getting started on InstaZood after another of our favorite tools got shut down. Give it a try and see how powerful your account can really be!  

Need a team to help you delve into the world of social media marketing? Our experts are here to help, and located all around the west coast. Reach out to Social Media Unicorn to get started.

How to Elevate the Cannabis Buying Experience

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When we talk about an “elevated experience” in the cannabis industry, we’re not just talking about getting high. It’s a phrase that embodies the community’s mission to eliminate negative stereotypes through responsible consumption and education.

Think of it as brand strategy with the consumer in mind; you always want patients to feel comfortable, confident and informed when they’re considering buying your product to take home. Start giving back today with these tips.

Provide Facts

A full ingredient list and laboratory test are just the bare minimum of what should be included on your product’s packaging and your website, too. This would be a good start, but the truth is that patients typically want to know a lot more than simply what’s inside.

They want to know, as much as possible, what the onset time will be and how they will feel after using the product. Should it be used morning, night or all day long? How long should they wait before re-dosing? Think of an answer to every possible question a new cannabis consumer might have, and make it an integral part of your branding. 

Care About Details

High-end aesthetics and practicality are extremely important. This is true with both product and packaging design! Cannabis consumers really do care about the little things. They want to feel confident when they leave a dispensary that the product in their bag will work as advertised and provide a pleasant experience. If the consumer can’t gain that confidence simply by picking up the package, then it’s time to go back to the drawing board. 

Some specific small details that matter to connoisseurs and newer consumers alike:

  • Beautiful packaging which provides a clear product description, and a sense of the intended mood or effect. 
  • Clearly marked dosage meters or perforations on edible and drinkable products. 
  • Air-tight sealed packaging for cannabis flower, with appropriate humidity control. 
  • Proper labeling and lids on topical containers so they can be handled.
  • Current lab test labels on the outside of every package.

Promote Responsibility

Always do your best to inform the consumer – directly on the package – of everything they’ll need to know. After all, you or your sales reps will not be in the store with them when they are checking out your product. Don’t rely on dispensary staff to educate patients about safe and effective ways to use your particular product. The burden is on manufacturers to make that information part of their packaging, labeling and overall branding process. 

Elevate your brand to the next level with consulting, integrated campaigns and real, proven results with Social Media Unicorn, based in the thriving legal cannabis market of Las Vegas. 

Entrepreneurs – Avoid These Pitfalls of DIY Marketing

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Doing the marketing for your brand in-house has a small benefit but can come with big problems. Why? Because if you and your team aren’t specialists in the digital world, and dedicated to a content strategy, your campaigns will eventually 

Below are the top three pitfalls that first-time marketers make when developing their “DIY marketing” strategy. Take them as a lesson or a warning – it’s your choice! 

No Content Strategy

Everyone loves pictures of cute dogs and cats, but that doesn’t mean those types of posts will do well on your brand’s social media accounts. Without a central theme and set of values that you know your audience will appreciate, how can be sure that your content is really sticking? Get content planned weeks or even months in advance – only then will you have your social marketing “handled.”

No Graphic Support

Photography and graphic design might seem easy at first, but start comparing your creations to a pro’s, and you’ll quickly realize that it’s hard work that you can’t handle by yourself. You might be able to swing a couple of good brand photos with your iPhone, but is that really how you want your company to be represented to the world’s savviest consumers? Professional help in this area is not hard to find, so support your local graphic designers and photographers by letting them make your product or service shine a little brighter. 

No Budget

One of the biggest reasons that new businesses fail in the cannabis industry is failure to invest in the right channels at the right time. Business owners who can’t afford a small Facebook Ads budget, or a booth at a local event, unfortunately cannot afford the cost of doing business in the modern era. Luckily there are clever solutions out there if you know who to talk to! 

Luckily, there’s hope for failed Do-It-Yourself marketers. It’s called hiring an agency. 

You probably wouldn’t let a football coach perform your open-heart surgery. Don’t leave your marketing in the hands of an amateur – even if it is yourself. Talk to our Unicorns today to see how we can level up your digital marketing strategy.

10 Ways Lab Testing Helps Make The Cannabis Brand

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Let’s get one thing clear: lab testing cannabis is an absolute must.

Though most legal markets require it by law, really, the only ones who still have to catch up to modern times are operators in California. It’s because of the west coast market that lab testing requirements in states such as Nevada are as strict as they are now. No other state wants to take chances on pesticides and molds! 

If you think getting your product tested at a lab is just a chore, read on to learn why it could actually make or break your brand. 

Builds Trust

Lab testing your products proves to the world that you are a legitimate operator in the cannabis space, creating products that are free of toxins and dangerous chemicals. Congratulations on putting drug dealer stereotypes in the past! 

Shows Transparency

Customers aren’t the only ones who are going to want to see your lab tests. By always having them current, you’re appeasing local and state regulators, too. The more we share with the world about the contents of medical cannabis products, the more progress we will make collectively as an industry. 

Displays Quality

You already think your product is the best – don’t you want others to think so, too? From the terpenes, to the humidity levels, to the major and minor cannabinoids, your trusty lab test should definitely make your product shine. 

Educates Patients

Not every patient or adult-use consumer is aware of the chemical composition of their cannabis. For those who are interested in learning more, it’s nothing short of fascinating to peruse the various lab tests at the dispensary. Make sure yours is one of them.

Proves Potency

Simply saying that your flower, oil or edible is the strongest just doesn’t hold much water in today’s cannabis economy. A certified laboratory test is the only way to prove to retailers and customers that yours is the real deal – and worth the price. 

Creates Consistency

What makes a cannabis consumer come back again and again? A product that looks, smells, tastes and works the exact same way every time. Of course, there will always be slight variations between batches of cannabis products, but your lab tests will help you keep them as consistent as possible to please your biggest fans. 

Helps Retailers

By viewing the lab tests on your products, dispensary managers and staff should be able to discern a few things. First, it will help them figure out how to price and display it among their other inventory. Second, they will be able to appropriately direct patients to the right product for them based on the chemical composition of each product. 

Supports Industry

Bottom line, cannabis testing laboratories need to make money, just like the rest of us in this space. Make a friend and ally for life by developing a value-based relationship with your lab that goes beyond just the “bare minimum” testing requirements.

Calms Opposition

In this industry, we are always trying to counter fear-based arguments from prohibitionists. Lab testing cannabis shows that these products are safe and therapeutic – making them the ultimate tool in the fight against anti-cannabis trolls. 

Boosts Legitimacy

All in all, testing your product makes the cannabis industry and the people in it look a whole lot better to the outside world. We hope you take it seriously as all of our clients do!

The Top 3 Growing Demographics for Cannabis Users

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No matter where you stand in the business of cannabis, you’ve simply got to know who’s out there consuming it.

Dated stereotypes of the marijuana user no longer apply. At first glance, to the naïve marketer, it may seem like only young, hip city folk are using the latest and greatest cannabis products. We like to look a little deeper than that. 

Get to know the three fastest-growing groups of consumers in the cannabis world right now: 

Baby Boomers

There’s no question about it: the generation of people born post-WWII are a dominant buying force in the U.S. economy. That means that as legalization spreads from state to state, Baby Boomers remain the fastest growing group of patients and consumers, tossing aside the old stigma for a new lease on health and wellness. 

Rising health care costs and low satisfaction with prescription medication treatments are leading more and more aging people to give cannabis another try – often for the first time in decades. 

Millennials & “Gen Z”

Not only have Millennials had the privilege of growing up around changing attitudes about cannabis, they’ve also led the charge in making marijuana a mainstream wellness product. 

The subsequent generation of youth consumers, dubbed “Generation Z,” are now quickly approaching legal age to purchase their own vape pen or edible in one of several regulated adult-use states. Time will tell just how involved this generation will be in the modern cannabis culture, but you can bet their tastes will be refined by lifestyle influencers and top-quality products they’ve seen on Instagram. 

The Elderly

Don’t discount the impact that elderly people will have on legal cannabis markets in the next few years – especially as curious Baby Boomers begin to see their health care costs skyrocket even higher as they age.

Medical cannabis is providing comfort to more people than ever so that they can live out the rest of their years in health and happiness. Through various channels, the word is getting out that pot beats pills any day of the week.  

If you are an entrepreneur launching a product or service in the cannabis space, you need to figure out who your customers are.

We can help! Hire one of our Unicorns today to put your brand on the map. 

Meet the Unicorns: Roni Stetter Cannabis Queen

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A Sacramento native, Roni Stetter learned at an early age the medicinal benefits of cannabis. Since age 10, Roni battled with chronic pain, and in high school,  discovered cannabis was the only medication that could help her be active and get around. 

roni-stetterAfter relocating to San Diego for college, Roni channeled her passion for the potent plant to politics, leading the charge to garner support for California’s 2010 attempt at marijuana legalization, Prop 19. 

While the measure failed, it sparked the activism bug, which led Roni on an internal battle. “I was working in public relations at the time sneaking around and hiding the fact that I smoke weed.”

It was at that point Roni made the decision to fully embrace cannabis culture. Taking her strong writing background and PR skills, Roni launched her own company, aimed at working directly with grassroots marijuana startups.

roni-stetter

In 2015, Roni earned the title of Miss High Times, boldly sharing her personal relationship with cannabis and the impact it has had on her life.

“I author a health and fitness blog and share training and nutrition tips for people trying to become more active. My ultimate goal is to be an evangelist, to showcase the health benefits of the plant,” she said in the interview. 

A longtime activist, wellness lifestyle blogger, and entrepreneur in the cannabis space, Roni brings both passion and enthusiasm to the Social Media Unicorn team.

You can connect with Roni on Twitter and Instagram as well as on her blog The Hurt Guru.

Cannabis In Canada: Becoming A Global Leader

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The legalization of cannabis, either as a medicine or for recreational consumption, isn’t just a hot topic in the US. Other countries are facing the same demands from their populations: to legitimize and decriminalize cannabis. What has been interesting is the different approaches countries have taken in tackling this issue. Here in the US, the marijuana movement has been predominantly at a State level, but is there a better way to do this? Let’s take a glance at what our friendly northern neighbors are up to with cannabis in Canada.

The Federal Approach

The biggest difference in how Canada is handling cannabis is that they chosen to start at the top and then work downwards. Canada tackled the issue of cannabis as a country first, working towards providing structure and guidance to each province to round out their marijuana programs to best fit their own populace and economic needs. While the first attempt at regulating marijuana came into being in 2001, there have been many changes since then in regards to fine tuning the program to keep making it better. The latest news is that Canada is on track to make cannabis legal across Canada for adult use by July of 2018, putting it on track to be the second country in the world opting for complete legalization.

Federal Licensing

Because legalization is working from the top down, federal agencies are involved from the very beginning. Health Canada (sort of like the US’s FDA) issues the licenses for growers and distributors. This doesn’t mean that they won’t need business licenses in their home provinces, but the fact that the rules are the same across the country puts every ganjapreneur on relatively even footing. Their agricultural department is involved, supporting and helping the government to put together beneficial guidelines to help improve the industry. Local law enforcement is receiving guidance from national agencies, uniting local agents and providing valuable input on  how to regulate such a system.

Business Benefits

One of the biggest problems here in the US is that while some states are embracing cannabis, the country has not, despite a recent Gallup poll suggesting 60% of Americans support legalization. This means that because marijuana is still federally illegal, cannabis businesses are extremely limited. Federal banks cannot deal with them, large ad agencies don’t want to touch them, and most landowners won’t work with them. Marijuana as an industry has grown exponentially despite these serious limitations. What we are seeing in Canada is that because it is supported on a national level, these cannabis companies are able to play on the same business fields as other industries. They can work with national banks for loans and services and are also able to be publicly traded. Their potential for growth is much less inhibited than their US counterparts.

While the legalization of cannabis is not a new issue, it has been interesting to see how each country around the world has gone about tackling it. Countries such as Uruguay, where cannabis is legal, and soon-to-be legal Canada will be leaders in this global trend. Whether they intended to be or not, countries like Canada will be looked upon as an example of cannabis legalization.

Tell us what you think about cannabis legalization both here in America and around the world.

Connect with us! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter for cannabis business trends.

Generational Marijuana Marketing: Is it all about the Millennials?

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The Generations Defined According to the Pew Research Center 63% of Republican Millennials support the legalization of marijuana. Support for marijuana legalization is a largely generational story, with younger Americans on both sides of the aisle supporting legalization, while the older generations tend to be less likely to support marijuana legalization. Young adults have disproportionately driven the shift toward public support of marijuana, though support is rising among other generations as well. Millennials- those ages 18 to 35 in 2016- are more than twice as likely to support legalization of marijuana as they were in 2006 (71% today, up from 34% in 2006), and are significantly more likely to support legalization than other generations.   It’s interesting because in Nevada, where medical marijuana is legal and the majority of Nevadans support the legalization of recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older, the majority of medical marijuana card holders are members of the Silent Generation. Seniors account for 57% of Nevada medical marijuana card holders (as of September 30, 2016). Young adults have disproportionately driven the shift toward public support of marijuana, though support is rising among other generations as well. Millennials- those ages 18 to 35 in 2016- are more than twice as likely to support legalization of marijuana as they were in 2006 (71% today, up from 34% in 2006), and are significantly more likely to support legalization than other generations.   Where does this leave marijuana brands when it comes to marijuana marketing? The savviest cannabis brands understand the unique differences in characteristics and influences for each generation. Here is a breakdown of those differences:   The Baby Boom Generation (52-70yr olds) Characteristics: Experimental, individualist, free-spirited, self-believing, self-fulfillment, self-improvement, rejection or redefinition of traditional values. Influences: The rise of television, the assassinations of JFK and MLK, the Civil Rights Movement, the Beatles, the Vietnam War, the Apollo moon landing, and Woodstock.   Generation X (36-51yr olds) Characteristics: Rebellious, innovator, independent, entrepreneurial, anti-establishment, skeptical, ecologically-minded, anti-consumerist, short attention span, multi-career minded. Influences: Watergate, 70’s oil prices, Iran hostage crisis, increased divorce rates, rise of technology with personal computers, AIDS, and grunge music.   Millennials (18-35yr olds) Characteristics: Style savvy, tech savvy, making more money at younger ages, independent, socially and environmentally aware, pro-community, multicultural, pro gender equality. Influences: Fall of Berlin Wall, birth of the internet, dotcom boom and bust, 9/11, social media growth, and rebirth of pop culture. Knowing these characteristics and understanding the influences of each generation can help marijuana brands to understand how to best connect, engage, and activate their target audience. As any Millennial can tell you, they are least likely to speak with someone on the telephone. In fact, there are memes making fun of brands who try to connect with them via telephone rather than through social media channels or a text message. So where does this leave marijuana brands that need to find an effective marketing strategy that satisfies these three different generations? The answer is to start developing an omni-channel marketing strategy. Omni-channel communication is the conversations between businesses and their customers that flow freely in both directions across multiple channels. The benefits of having multiple channels allows customers multiple options for connecting to your marijuana brand: by phone, on social media, through your website, e-mail, or text messages means more communication. More communication means more business, which can translate into more sales and higher profits for your marijuana brand.   With the shorter attention spans of Generation X and Millennials, time is certainly the most important factor when dealing with marijuana brands. By responding quickly to customers in the channel of their choice, marijuana brands are showing that they are readily available to answer their questions. This is also removing the potential frustration that customers may experience when trying to contact a marijuana brand. This is why Facebook has an emphasis on the response time to Facebook Business Page messages. Response time drives your organic content algorithm, so if you want your content to be seen by more people who have liked your Facebook page having a 100% reply rate within 60 minutes is imperative.   Omni-channel marketing is only going to grow in importance for marijuana marketing. If a marijuana brand is not agile and listening across multiple channels, they are ignoring a lot of their current and potential consumers. With Millennials getting older and making more money they are a huge part of the marijuana customer base. It is important to meet their needs and communication preferences if your marijuana brand wants to accomplish growth goals. In the past I would hear the same question from traditional CEO’s of major brands “What is the value of a tweet?” It’s simple: it is the same value of having a salesperson on the floor of your dispensary communicating the unique value proposition of your marijuana brand. If a Millennial prefers to communicate via Twitter, the value of that tweet is the difference between becoming a raving fan, a satisfied consumer, or a spurned potential consumer who found your marijuana brand to be deaf. Millennials are the largest generation since Baby Boomers, and they are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to their spending dollars and the ability to cause major chaos to a marijuana brand when their needs aren’t met. They have extremely high standards when it comes to customer service because they were raised on the internet and mobile technology has meant instant communication at any time.   For marijuana brands it isn’t all about Millennials, but about creating omni-channel marketing approaches that connect on a deeper level with the cannabis consumer. After all, content is king, but emotion is queen.  

Are you a marijuana brand looking for fast-growth in an ever-changing marketplace? Social Media Unicorn has unicorns on the ground in Denver, Seattle, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Los Angeles ready to help you with your marijuana branding, digital marketing, and social media needs. Give us a call or text at 702-812-6555 to start the conversation NOW!