This guide is general information, not legal advice.
Can dispensaries advertise on Google?
Not with Google Ads. Google's ad policy bars ads for substances that cause a high and names marijuana as an example. The one opening is narrow: topical CBD (a hemp compound that doesn't get you high) made from hemp, with 0.3% THC or less, in California, Colorado and Puerto Rico only, and only after the seller is certified by LegitScript (a company that vets health and drug advertisers) and approved by Google. That does nothing for a store selling THC products.
Microsoft Advertising, which runs the ads on Bing, is stricter. Its policy bans marijuana, including medical marijuana, and anything containing CBD.
What you can have is a Google Business Profile, the free listing that shows your store on Google Maps and in local search results. Google's guidelines don't exclude dispensaries with a storefront. They do stop businesses that sell age-restricted products, cannabis included, from listing as a service-area business without a storefront, so a delivery-only operator can't use that option. Keep the profile's posts to store news, hours and events. Google's Maps content rules bar promotional offers and buy links for regulated goods such as alcohol and tobacco. Cannabis isn't named, but it's safest to treat it the same way.
Your own website can rank in Google's free results like any other business. That's search engine optimization (SEO), and no ad policy stands in the way of it.
Can dispensaries advertise on Facebook and Instagram?
Not with paid ads. Meta's advertising standards don't allow ads that promote or sell THC products or other cannabis products that get you high. Ads for bongs, rolling papers and vaporizers are banned too. Hemp-derived CBD can be advertised in the US only with LegitScript certification and Meta's written permission.
A dispensary can still have a Facebook page and an Instagram account. Meta's community standards allow "business related content posted by marijuana dispensaries" and show it only to adults 18 and over. That's 18, not 21, so check how your state treats social posts: Maryland, for example, requires a 21+ notice on every post. What Meta doesn't allow is a post that tries to buy, sell or trade marijuana. So posts about your store, your events and your team are allowed under Meta's rules. A post that reads like an order form is not.
Instagram still restricts dispensary accounts. Licensed operators in California, New York and Rhode Island told MJBizDaily in December 2024 that Instagram had hidden their pages from search or shut them down. Meta didn't respond to the reporter. Get your followers onto a list you own, like a text or email list, which we cover below. Our cannabis social media marketing guide covers how to post without getting flagged.
Every major platform, at a glance
Here's where each platform's own ad policy stood when we checked it on October 2, 2026. "THC dispensary" means a state-licensed store selling marijuana products, as opposed to a hemp or CBD brand.
| Platform | Ads for a THC dispensary? | The details |
|---|---|---|
| Google Ads | No | Topical hemp CBD only, in California, Colorado and Puerto Rico, after certification. |
| Microsoft Advertising (Bing) | No | Bans marijuana, medical marijuana and CBD. |
| Meta (Facebook, Instagram) | No | Bans ads for THC products. Regular business posts from dispensaries are allowed and shown to adults 18+. No selling in posts. |
| TikTok | No | Bans ads that promote or sell recreational drugs. Hemp and topical CBD cosmetics may be allowed in some markets, only through a TikTok sales rep. |
| No | Names cannabis dispensaries in its list of what's prohibited. Topical hemp CBD only, through a sales rep. | |
| No, for selling | Bans ads that promote the sale or use of recreational drugs. It doesn't name cannabis. | |
| Spotify | No, for selling | Prohibits ads for recreational drugs. Cresco Labs, a large cannabis company, ran a campaign in Illinois in 2023 that promoted its name, not products for sale. |
| Snapchat | Maybe | Says it allows some limited cannabis ads where legal, starting with an application form. No consumption shown, no medical claims. We couldn't confirm whether it approves US dispensaries in practice. |
| X (Twitter) | Maybe | Its policy has a US section for licensed, pre-approved cannabis advertisers that target only adults 21+ in the states where they're licensed, and that don't promote a sale. The same page's summary mentions only Canada and Thailand, so ask X before you plan around it. |
| Yelp | No ads | Yelp lists cannabis sellers, but businesses that sell cannabis can't buy Yelp Ads. |
| Weedmaps and Leafly | Yes | Cannabis marketplaces. Paid listings and deals. Prices not published. |
| Cannabis ad networks | Yes | Cannabis-focused ad networks, for example Mantis. |
| StackAdapt | Case by case | A mainstream ad platform that reviews cannabis advertisers case by case, by location and where the ads would run. |
Policies change. Each platform's own page is linked in the sources, so check it before you spend.
Where dispensaries can advertise
Cannabis marketplaces
Weedmaps and Leafly are two sites where shoppers browse cannabis menus and deals. Both offer a basic listing and paid tiers with better placement, deals pages and ads inside the app. Neither publishes its prices, so ask for a quote and ask what you'll be able to measure: orders, menu views, or just how many people saw the ad.
Cannabis ad networks and programmatic ads
Programmatic advertising means display and video ads bought automatically across many websites and apps. Most mainstream networks won't run dispensary ads, so cannabis-focused networks fill the gap. Mantis, for example, describes itself as an ad platform for licensed dispensaries, selling display, video and retargeting ads (ads shown again to people who visited your website), targeted by location, time of day and device. StackAdapt reviews cannabis advertisers case by case. Before you buy, ask how the network proves its audience meets your state's rule for the share that must be 21 or older, often 70% to 90% (see the state rules).
Billboards, print and local media
Each state sets its own rules. Some states ban cannabis billboards, others allow them with limits, and many require that a set share of the audience be adults. Billboard and print companies can add their own rules on top, so ask for their cannabis policy before you design anything.
Search results and listings you don't pay for
Your Google Business Profile, your own website's search rankings and a Yelp listing cost nothing per click and aren't covered by ad bans. A new customer can find them without seeing an ad.
Your own lists
Text, email and a loyalty program reach people who already chose to hear from you. No ad platform can switch them off, and you can see the sales that follow each message. More on that below.
Can dispensaries advertise on TV and radio?
Rarely, and federal law is why. Adult-use marijuana is still a Schedule I drug, the federal government's strictest drug category. The Controlled Substances Act makes it illegal to use any "communication facility," a term that includes radio, to help commit a federal drug felony. It also bans written ads in a "newspaper, magazine, handbill, or other publications" that offer to illegally buy or sell a Schedule I substance (section 843 of Title 21 of the U.S. Code).
TV and radio stations hold licenses from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), so they're careful. A broadcast law firm wrote in December 2025 that it knew of no recent FCC enforcement over marijuana ads. It still saw real risk for stations that run them, and said most big broadcasters still restrict these ads.
Did the 2026 rescheduling change this? Not for adult-use stores. On April 28, 2026, the federal government moved marijuana products approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and marijuana held under a state medical marijuana license, to Schedule III, a less strict category. All other marijuana stayed in Schedule I. The rule doesn't mention advertising. Broadcast lawyers say medical marijuana is closer to being advertisable but that hurdles remain. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began a hearing on June 29, 2026, on moving all marijuana to Schedule III, with no decision as of October 2, 2026.
State advertising rules, side by side
Every legal state writes its own cannabis advertising rules. Three questions matter most when you plan an ad:
- The audience rule. Many states let you advertise in a medium only if most of its audience is 21 or older, and they set the share. You need data to prove it, like the media outlet's audience report.
- Billboards. Banned in some states, limited in others.
- What every ad must say. Most states require set warning text, and some want your license number on every ad.
Here's how 16 of the biggest markets compare. It's a summary, so read your regulator's own rules before you run anything.
| State | Audience must be 21+ | Billboards and outdoor ads | Also note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 73.6% for online, social media, website and sponsorship ads | Not within 1,000 feet of schools, child care, churches, parks, playgrounds or recovery facilities. No ads at airports or on transit. | A set warning, taking up at least 10% of the ad's space. No potency or THC levels in ads. |
| California | 71.6% | None on interstates or on state highways that cross the state line. None within 1,000 feet of schools, day care, playgrounds or youth centers. | Every ad shows your license number. No giving away cannabis. |
| Colorado | 71.6% | Allowed under local sign rules. None within 500 feet of schools, places of worship or public playgrounds. | New state rules adopted in September 2026 take effect November 1, so check whether the ad rules changed. |
| Connecticut | 90% | None within 1,500 feet of schools, houses of worship, parks and similar places, and no billboard ads between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. | No pictures of the plant or leaf. No advertising discounts except in the store, on delivery or on your website. |
| Illinois | No percentage set | No ads within 1,000 feet of schools, playgrounds, parks, libraries and similar places, or on public transit or public property. | No pictures of a cannabis leaf or bud. No showing people using cannabis. |
| Maryland | 85% | Banned, apart from signs on your own building that identify the business. | Every social media post must say viewers must be 21+. |
| Massachusetts | 85%, billboards included | Allowed if they meet the 85% rule and local rules. | Advertising discounts, coupons and loyalty programs has been banned; a 2026 law lets the regulator allow it in stores and by opt-in email. Every ad says "Please Consume Responsibly" and carries health warnings. |
| Michigan | 70% | No state ban. Local rules apply. | Ads carry the state's warnings, including 21+ and the Poison Control number. |
| Minnesota | 70% | Banned. Up to two signs on your own building or property. | A set warning on ads. No pop-up ads. |
| Missouri | No percentage set | Local rules apply. Signs must show your real business name. | The state constitution says ad rules can't be stricter than the state's alcohol ad rules. |
| Nevada | 70% | None within 1,000 feet of schools, playgrounds, parks or libraries. No transit ads. | Every ad carries two warnings plus your store's name and state ID number. |
| New Jersey | 71.6% | Only on your own property. No ads within 200 feet of a school. | A set warning plus "licensed by the State of New Jersey." Two companies were fined $15,000 each in summer 2026. |
| New York | At least the share of New York's population that is 21 or older | Banned. Existing billboards had to come down by February 24, 2026. | Since December 2025 you can offer discounts and loyalty rewards, but advertise them only by electronic message, mailer, your website or a third-party website. No free cannabis. |
| Ohio | No percentage set. Websites must check age. | Banned. No ads within 500 feet of schools, churches, libraries, playgrounds or parks. | Since March 20, 2026, state law says your ad materials need the Division of Cannabis Control's approval first. Ads carry the division's seal, and ads that show a package also need the THC symbol. |
| Oregon | 70%, billboards included | Allowed under the 70% rule. | Three required statements, including "For use only by adults twenty-one years of age and older." |
| Washington | No percentage set | Allowed, but text only: your store's name and location, no pictures of plants or products. None within 1,000 feet of schools, parks and similar places. | Four set warnings on most ads. Giveaways banned, apart from small items worth under $1. |
Where the table says 70%, the rule is written as "no more than 30% under 21." Colorado's rule explains its 71.6% figure by pointing to the alcohol industry's own advertising standard. Rules change: Colorado adopted new rules in September 2026, Michigan is working through proposed rule changes (public comment closed in July 2026), and California passed a 2026 law tightening what counts as appealing to children. If your state isn't listed, start with your cannabis regulator's website.
What every dispensary ad needs
The details differ by state, but these hold almost everywhere:
- Proof of an adult audience. Keep the audience data for every placement. New Jersey's fines in 2026 were partly for missing audience records.
- Your state's required wording. Warnings, a 21+ statement and, in some states, your license number.
- Nothing that appeals to kids. No cartoons, mascots, toys or candy look-alikes, and no models who look underage.
- No health claims. Don't say cannabis treats, cures or prevents anything.
- Be careful showing anyone using cannabis. Many states ban showing people consuming it, and others ban showing anyone underage using it.
- No "safe because it's tested" claims. Some states, Oregon among them, ban saying a product is safe because the state regulates or tests it.
- Be careful with deals. Some states limit advertising discounts, giveaways or free products. Check before you promote one.
Why your own lists matter more than ads
When most ad platforms are closed, the customers who already shop with you are your best audience, and you can reach them directly. That's what text, email and a loyalty program do. They're often called retention marketing: marketing that brings existing customers back.
- No ad platform can switch them off. Your list is yours, though text still has its own rules: mobile carriers restrict cannabis content, so you need a cannabis-friendly texting platform and neutral wording. Our dispensary text marketing guide covers how that works.
- Email has fewer gatekeepers than text. No mobile carrier sits in between, but your email platform still has to allow cannabis. See our dispensary email marketing guide.
- You can see sales in dollars. Platforms like Alpine IQ, a marketing platform many dispensaries use for text, email and loyalty, report the sales that follow each message, so you can see what a campaign earned, not just how many people saw it.
Paid placements can still bring new customers in. The job then is to turn that first visit into a sign-up, so the next visit doesn't cost you another ad. Every ad, listing and in-store sign should give people a reason to join your list.
Green Spark Media doesn't buy ads for clients. We run the text, email and loyalty marketing that brings those new customers back. See how we run loyalty, email and text marketing for dispensaries, or how we manage Alpine IQ accounts.
More questions dispensary owners ask
Can a dispensary run Google Ads?
Can I boost Instagram or Facebook posts for my dispensary?
What does the 71.6% rule mean?
Can dispensaries advertise on billboards?
Did the 2026 marijuana rescheduling open up TV, radio or online ads?
Can I advertise deals and discounts?
What's the lowest-cost way to bring customers back?
Can Green Spark Media run our advertising?
About the author
Matthew Dobesh founded Green Spark Media. He got his start in cannabis about fifteen years ago in a grow warehouse, harvesting, trimming and packaging product while he was in university. An MBA and a marketing career later, he's back in the industry, this time helping dispensaries grow. He's Alpine IQ certified and runs a live Alpine IQ account every day. Read Matthew's story.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Advertising rules change and differ by state, so talk to a lawyer who knows your state's cannabis rules before you run an ad. Last checked October 2, 2026.