Ad Execs: Cannabis Ads for Legal Marijuana Will Generate Billions

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Advertisers and marketers are preparing for a universal legal pot market. The legal medicinal and recreational market is already estimated to be in the billions. 20 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medicinal marijuana use.

Colorado and Washington legalized recreational cannabis use for adults as of this year and the mass-culture advertising of cannabis products is going to happen quicker than you think, according to Greg Wagner, a former long-time ad executive who is now a lecturer and internship director in the marketing department at the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business.

  

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According to CBS, advertising for the “stoner” is already here, some industry observers said, pointing to fast food chain Taco Bell, a division of restaurant giant Yum! Brands (YUM) and their jingle “late night munchies”, and slogans like “you’re out, you’re hungry”.

Wagner said, the right image and making it acceptable for mass-marketing would be the answer for ad companies, but they would also have to make it hip, by maybe creating a spokesman like the “Dos Equis man” ads.

Brewing companies and big corporations may be ready to get involved when marijuana becomes a legitimate, nationwide business. “And once they get in there, you are going to see some major branding going on,” Wagner said. “I can see Anheuser-Busch getting involved in this. I heard rumors of this over a year ago that they would probably get in there.”

If the right advertisers and sponsors get involved and legalizing marijuana becomes successful, marijuana ads could become commonplace.

Image Credit: 420medicated.com