In a victory for cannabis-related businesses, the marijuana-centric Hoban Law Group is running a national advertisement on CNN and six other major cable TV networks.
The news marks a watershed for cannabis advertising, as most television stations have strictly avoided broadcasting marijuana-related ads so as to not run afoul of federal regulators.
In 2015, for example, a Denver TV station initially agreed to air commercials for a cannabis retail chain but then got cold feet and pulled out of the deal.
None of the seven networks wanted to “hit people over the head with the word ‘marijuana,'” attorney and firm founder Bob Hoban told the news outlet. “So in the ad, we talk about industrial hemp and the medical and adult-use marketplaces.”
Hoban Law Group is based in Denver and has offices nationwide. Because the law firm provides an ancillary service – which isn’t directly involved with marijuana – it was able to obtain prime time weeknight ad slots.
Typically, advertising options vary from state to state and even from city to city. For instance, many cannabis-related companies have advertised on billboards in a number of metro markets.