In cannabis, things change fast. So fast in fact that it can be tough for cannabusiness professionals to keep up with new developments, trends, and regulations. Because of this canna-companies and enthusiasts need a place to connect organically with others in the industry. This is where cannabis business social networks come into play.
Even though cannabis is legal in the majority of the U.S. states and Canada, there are still large limitations to advertising and posting on mainstream social networks. The most popular social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok have strict community guidelines on what cannabis businesses can share. This may be in part because in the USA, cannabis is still considered to be a controlled substance. So where do you go to promote, engage and connect? Enter cannabis business social networks.
Cannabis business social networks are where industry leaders, business owners, and enthusiasts can interact openly and share their thoughts and experiences.
Are you curious to learn about some of our favourite cannabis friendly social networks? Great, because we created a list with the top 10.
What are cannabis business social networks?
Cannabis business social networks are platforms dedicated to cannabis businesses, consumers, and other professionals within the industry. They provide a safe and engaging space for discussion and making connections. No federal law recognizes the legality of cannabis, so mainstream social media platforms do not allow content related to marijuana.
There is no such problem within cannabis social networks. In these spaces, people in the cannabis industry can freely post content to increase brand awareness, with no need to navigate strict guidelines set by mainstream social media platforms.
Important reasons to maintain accounts on cannabis social networks
Brand awareness
Cannabis social platforms congregate people from the industry, such as cannabis-loving individuals, manufacturers of cannabis products, and even hemp growers. Whichever part of the cannabis chain your business belongs to, it should have a presence on these specialized sites. Your target audience and top-notch industry connections are on these platforms, and your activity will further boost brand awareness.
Business connections
These cannabis-centric platforms are the perfect place to find business partners and collaborators. Producers and manufacturers can find consumers, and companies can discover potential influencers or marketers.
Actively participating in cannabis business social networks benefit all players in the cannabis industry.
Strengthens cannabis industry
The cannabis industry may be growing at a swift pace, but there are still many obstacles in its way. As long as cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, the industry still has a long way to go. Having platforms where enthusiasts can share thoughts and ideas about the industry will help forward the cannabis cause.
Freedom to post cannabis ads and promos
Community guidelines for cannabis social networks are much more accommodating because they cater to everything related to marijuana. You will be free to be creative with your cannabis posts as long as your content remains within the bounds set by the platform.
What are the top 10 cannabis business social networks?
The following are the best platforms that specifically cater to cannabis businesses:
1 -MjLink
Most social media platforms aim to grow one’s network, and MjLink does just that with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). With AI-powered marketing applications, MjLink users get automatic leads that help cannabis businesses create more professional ties while sharing photos, events, and cannabis-related special offers.
In 2020, MjLink celebrated its two million user milestone. It’s a huge number, considering cannabis is not nearly as mainstream as other agriculture and lifestyle industries.
2 -HempTalk
Since cannabis is a fairly new industry, legally speaking, many businesses need help connecting with entities to market their products. HempTalk is where like-minded enthusiasts can interact, and companies can educate their audience about their products. It’s also a safe place for newbies to learn more about cannabis.
3 - MjInvest
MjInvest completes the quadrumvirate of cannabis-centered platforms under Social Life Network's umbrella. WeedLife is a consumer-to-consumer social media company, while MjLink is more business-to-business. HempTalk is a business-to-consumer social network, and MjInvest connects cannabis investors. There’s also a wealth of cannabis news on this platform.
MjInvest runs the McMicro Capital Conference, a venue for cannabis companies to hold virtual presentations to investors, analysts, and brokers. It’s a more professional network for the cannabis industry, akin to LinkedIn.
4 - Grasscity
Grasscity is one of the oldest cannabis sites in the world. It’s also rich in history as it originated in the city where smoking weed in public was acceptable decades before it was legalized in various places: Amsterdam. Grasscity was originally Coffeeshop-Amsterdam, a website that sold smoking accessories.
In 2018, it merged with a Canada-based cannabis corporation called High Tide. Grasscity just kept growing from there. It now sells all types of weed accessories and continuously stays on top of what’s new in the world of cannabis.
Today, Grasscity hosts forums with over 650,000 members.
5 - Weedable
Weedable is a social networking app where people can post about cannabis products and connect with other enthusiasts. There are also many real-time cannabis-related news posted on the Weedable timeline, so users can stay informed about goings-on in the industry.
The Weedable timeline is both educational and fun. There are posts about essential CBD skin care kits or the newest hemp tinctures that help people experience deep sleep or mitigate physical pain.
6 - Duby
Duby is a secure social media app that allows cannabis businesses to freely promote their products to markets within the area. Privacy is vital for Duby because it believes in providing a safe space for all cannabis users, especially tourists from regions where marijuana is still illegal.
Businesses can create accounts on the platform and share informative and entertaining content with their followers while interacting with each other. There is an additional business layer catering to in-app business profiles and management services.
7 - Leafwire
“No stigma, just business.” It’s a compelling marketing tagline that clearly expresses what Leafwire is: a social networking site where users share cannabis news, promote cannabis-related events, and network with like-minded individuals. Users can connect with prospective employers, while cannabis companies can post job openings on the platform.
8 - CannaBuzz
Creative individuals will enjoy the CannaBuzz community, where users share their passion for cannabis by posting photos, videos, or live streaming. It’s the social media environment that many people are used to, except it’s a platform where people safely share their love for marijuana.
The CannaBuzz community is global, too, which gives you a chance to connect with cannabis enthusiasts from Australia, Canada, the U.K., and the U.S.
9 - MassRoots
Isaac Dietrich and Tyler Knight were getting high in their college apartment when they thought of MassRoots, a social networking site for cannabis enthusiasts. They wanted to post photos of their bong rips but didn’t want to upset their family members on Facebook.
So, Dietrich and Knight created a platform where cannabis users can safely share their photos and videos. MassRoots’ social networking segment has hundreds of thousands of followers, while MassRoots for Business, the advertising portal, has a few thousand followers.
10 - WeedLife
WeedLife is one of the most popular social platforms dedicated to marijuana. Founded in 2013, it works just like Facebook, except it’s cannabis-centered: people can post cannabis content that’s aggregated on news feeds. There are chat groups and forums where people can share stories and experiences about specific cannabis-related subtopics.
The company also launched a mobile app called the Weed App to make it more convenient for cannabis producers and retailers to connect with customers in the U.S. and other parts of the globe.
“The Weed App is making mobile apps affordable and simple for business owners in the cannabis and hemp industry worldwide,” The WeedLife Network CEO and co-founder Shawn Levy said in a press release published on GlobalNewswire, shortly after the app launch. The app helps businesses map out e-commerce strategies to keep businesses competitive.
Bonus points! What are the best cannabis culture forums?
One of the advantages of cannabis business social networks is to have a venue where users can freely discuss topics related to marijuana and hemp. Some platforms mentioned above, like Grasscity, have their own forums. There are other specialized forums where cannabis enthusiasts gather:
1 - Rollitup
The forum's name clearly reflects what it is: a fun place to meet people with the same enthusiasm for marijuana and cannabis products. It’s like an online coffee shop where members can talk about anything under the sun—as long as they are related to cannabis.
The forum has four major sections:
- The Grow Room - This is where forum members and contributors talk about growing marijuana. Some subtopics include marijuana plant problems, vertical growing, harvesting and curing, and auto-flowering strains, among many others.
- Medical Marijuana - Users share their experiences, news stories, and other updates about medical marijuana.
- Cannabis Cafe - A fun place to talk to cannabis lovers about anything under the sun: food, sports, music, politics, cooking with cannabis, etc.
- Rollitup Partners - A space for advertisers and forum-only contests.
2 - THCTalk
This forum is a space where users can discuss how to grow marijuana and share tips to ensure a healthy yield. Novices can begin with the basics of cannabis growing with discussions on indoor, outdoor, and hydroponic methods. The general growers’ forum discusses advanced techniques, breeding, and cooking with cannabis.
Serious cannabis growers also discuss joining competitions and collaborating with businesses. There are also off-topic threads for general socialization, like music and sports.
3 - Marijuana Passion Forum
Marijuana Passion Forum is a perfect place for long-time marijuana users to dish out expert advice as newbie cannabis users ask questions. It’s a great community where enthusiasts talk about their passion for the plant and newbies learn without judgment.
There are subforums for some varied and interesting topics:
- Bud of the month
- Marijuana photography
- Smoking and vaporizing devices
- Coffee table (any topic)
4 - myPlanetGanja
myPlanetGanja is surprisingly a political forum too, although the main topic is still cannabis. This forum is divided into two major sections: the garden center and high society, both of which offer a variety of topics that invite many enthusiasts.
The garden center is all about growing marijuana plants, with topics covering breeding, strains, and experimental techniques. High society is for people who love marijuana, with fun topics like stoner rambling, cooking with weed, and activism.
5 - Reddit
Reddit is the mother of all forums where people can discuss anything they can think of, from the latest movies to what’s the best breakfast food. It’s one of the most popular mainstream social networks with one stark difference: guidelines are community-based, so cannabis is not strictly off limits.
Here are some of the most popular marijuana subreddits where you can share your many thoughts about weed:
- r/Marijuana (250k members)
- r/marijuanaenthusiasts (370k members)
- r/trees (1.9 million members)
- r/weed (783k members)
What are other places to explore what’s happening in cannabis?
There are many other avenues to talk about developments in the cannabis industry:
Twitter Spaces
Twitter, in general, does not allow the promotion of cannabis content. However, it has a segment called Space where someone can initiate a voice discussion about whatever topic they want. Cannabis enthusiasts can start their own Space and talk about various cannabis-related issues. Spaces are public, so anyone can listen.
Dating Sites
If you’re looking for more intimate and personal ways to discuss weed, you can join dating sites considered safe for cannabis enthusiasts. You can match with someone just as passionate about weed as you are, and perhaps you can get high together when you meet up.
- High There!
- 420 Singles
- Date 420 Friendly
- Hinge
Podcasts
Kaya Push has recently launched a cannabis podcast called Kaya Cast. It is a weekly show where hosts invite founders, CEOs, and leaders of some of the biggest marijuana companies today. They discuss topics that cannabis enthusiasts are sure to find interesting.
The inaugural podcast episode had Greenspace Pro product and business development head Chris Lara talking about “Running an Efficient and Compliant Dispensary.” The second podcast featured the tips and tricks of opening a dispensary.
Keeping up with the industry through cannabis business social networks
Discussing cannabis on mainstream online platforms is incredibly challenging because, under federal law, it is still an illegal substance. Fortunately, dedicated cannabis business social networks have opened up many opportunities for cannabis businesses, users, producers, and investors to learn from each other, form connections, and collaborate on projects.
If you are running a cannabis business, you should open an account in at least one or two of the mentioned platforms to expand your audience and professional network. Share valuable information to show off your expertise and interact with other businesses and individual users to truly make a mark in the industry that you love!
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