Did you know that two of our Co-Founders (including myself), our Legal Advisor, and our Chief Editor are all from New Jersey? I think we’d all say we’re so passionate about cannabis because it has helped us immensely throughout our lives, all while we were told not to consume it for a number of reasons – especially because of the fact that it was illegal. After a long and brutal process, in 2012 New Jersey allowed medicinal marijuana use, and only now (8 years later) is finally in the process of legalizing a recreational marijuana use market.
Now that we’re avid consumers marketing for business-to-business and business-to-consumer cannabis and hemp organizations all over the country, it’s more mind boggling to us than ever that it takes so long for any state to legalize cannabis. The purpose of this blog is to explain a few of the many reasons we’re so excited about providing the best marketing services for legal New Jersey cannabis organizations.
Family & Friends
It’s really cool to think that we will soon have a chance to incorporate our family, friends and network from New Jersey into our projects. While it’s an absolute pleasure networking outside of the states we grew up in, there’s nothing like utilizing one’s network at home. As the rules and regulations of NJ cannabis legalization unfold, we hope this will continue to destigmatize a plant that has been unfairly stigmatized our entire lives.
We’re also thrilled that our friends and family will soon have an opportunity for safe access to clean medicine. If there’s anything we’ve learned over the years, it’s that cannabis can help folks in a number of different ways. However, there’s one other area not listed here that cannabis has been shown to help with: addiction.
Combating Opiate Abuse With Cannabis
Opiate abuse is known to be a big issue in New Jersey and the Northeast in general. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, drug overdose deaths have jumped and it’s only been harder for folks to get help. According to a recent study conducted by The State of New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety – from Jan 1 to Sept 20, 2020, there have been 2,320 deaths, 11,331 Naloxone administrations and 2,709,880 opioid prescriptions.
We’ve all been impacted by the opiate epidemic in one way or another. In fact, I initially entered the cannabis industry with the intention to educate my friends and family on how cannabis could help with their addiction. Over the years, this has transformed into educating and fueling opiate awareness campaigns, and also other campaigns cannabis can benefit. These include social equity, racial justice, the environment, social responsibility programs, and more.
Influence CSR Programs in NJ Communities Through Cannabis
Being that the State of New Jersey has consistently stigmatized cannabis for so many years, it’s critical that cannabis organizations implement Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) into their business models and marketing. In fact, we will not work with folks who do not plan to or do not already have a CSR program. Coming from years of experience in cannabis marketing, we’re excited to influence and help market these types of programs in our hometowns and throughout the state.
People tend to forget that NJ is the Garden State. An example of a really great New Jersey CSR marketing campaign would be: “Make New Jersey Garden Again!” In this case, a cannabis organization would help fund efforts or programs for local farms, co-op farms, agriculture programs, etc. Other examples of meaningful campaigns would be helping with the homeless problem in places like Camden and Atlantic City, opiate awareness, social equity and environmental practices.
Influence Experienced and Quality Practices
With any newly legalized state comes an influx of marketing agencies looking to apply their professional background to the cannabis industry. Due to the early stages of the industry, constantly changing regulations, and rapid industry growth all happening at once, it would be smart for a cannabis organization to use a marketing agency with experience, ethics and an extensive portfolio in cannabis specifically. That’s why we suggest choosing PufCreativ for all of your cannabis marketing needs!
We plan to make sure our clients in New Jersey and every other state have a quality marketing platform from the very beginning. There’s been a number of times that we took over cannabis marketing projects because an agency with less specific experience started the project and couldn’t properly execute.
In addition to the quality, timely and organized foundational principles of marketing in general, one must understand how the industry works, how to keep up with contract changes, and who the right people to work with are. There are many people in the industry whose only plan is to make money, with zero regard for the fact that cannabis is a sacred plant and medicine, that benefits their community, social equity, the environment, etc.
Finally, I’d like to note that much of what this blog covers can apply to other legal cannabis states! If you’d like to learn more about our services, or get started on a project — visit our ‘Get Started’ page or email us at hello@pufcreativ.com.
