Arizona Cannabis Marketing

Arizona, like most of the western states, has fully legalized recreational cannabis for sale and cultivation, starting in 2021. While medical marijuana has been available for more than a decade, the newness of the recreational industry means that there are many brand new companies entering the market all the time, making for a highly volatile situation. As we've learned in other states, the cannabis businesses most likely to survive are those that concentrate on properly branding and marketing themselves. While it's possible to maintain, or even thrive, the first couple years of legalization, as the market matures and more big money companies and investors enter the Arizona cannabis market, it's imperative that you have a professional marketing presence and build a strong relationship with your customers to ensure your company's long term sustainability.

The Hood Collective is a nationwide digital marketing agency that is focused exclusively on the cannabis industry. We've worked with companies in every stage of development, from established veterans and legacy growers to brand new brands dipping their feet into the recreational market for the very first time. Arizona companies that choose to work with us can expect professional guidance and top quality content that will immediately grab the attention of your target audience. Our experienced team of graphic designers, videographers, photographers, and drone pilots have a well-earned reputation for supporting cannabis and hemp farms, distributors, dispensaries, CBD manufacturers, and event organizers to grow and expand their businesses. Your Arizona cannabis company will shine with our outstanding digital and print designs, high definition video, and magazine quality photography.

WHEN DID CANNABIS BECOME LEGAL IN ARIZONA?

Although Arizona is one of the most recent states to legalize recreational cannabis, it actually has a long history at the forefront of the war on drugs as well as the stigmatization, and later the growing acceptance, of the cannabis plant. As far back as the 1920's, anti-cannabis and anti-immigration proponents were scapegoating cannabis as an evil import of Mexicans crossing the border into Arizona. Local Arizona activists began fighting in the nineties to provide patients access to medical cannabis. They even managed to pass a referendum with 65% support that would allow doctors to prescribe cannabis as a treatment in 1996, only to have the state legislature reject the proposition. The debate continued for nearly fifteen years, before Proposition 203, known as the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act, finally passed with a slim margin in 2010.

The medical cannabis law in Arizona allowed for the following:

Terminally ill patients to use cannabis to find relief, with a doctors’ approval.
Qualifying patients and caregivers to purchase cannabis medical dispensaries.
Qualifying patients and caregivers to cultivate cannabis for medical use in certain circumstances.
The creation of registry identification cards for medical cannabis patients.

The effort to legalize recreational cannabis failed in 2016, when Proposition 205 failed with only 48% of the vote. Four years later, the The Smart and Safe Act legalized adult recreational use of cannabis with 60% of the vote. With its passage, cannabis went on sale to the general adult population in 2021 for the first time in Arizona. The law allows for the possession of up to 1 ounce of cannabis, and 5 grams of concentrate. Additionally, it makes it legal for individuals to grow up to six plants (no more than 12 plants per household). The law also calls for taxation on sales at the state and local level, with a 16% excise tax on all cannabis products. The tax revenues will fund the implementation and enforcement of the new cannabis laws, with the remaining money disbursed to community colleges, police and fire departments, the state highway fund, a justice reinvestment fund, and the state attorney general.

Arizona holds the distinction as the fastest state to begin legal sales after approval by a ballot initiative.

WHAT ARE ARIZONA'S CANNABIS MARKETING RULES?

As hard as it might be to believe, Arizona currently does not have any laws in place regarding the advertising of cannabis, either for medical or recreational purposes. The state legislature attempted to correct this oversight earlier this year with HB2809. This law would have banned cannabis advertisements on billboards within 1,000 feet of schools, parks, churches, and day care centers. It also forbade cannabis companies from sponsoring nearly all events, including concerts, sporting events, and cultural events, or underwriting any team entering into an event or competition. However, the restrictive law failed to pass.

The reasoning behind its failure was that it singled out cannabis, while continuing to allow alcohol and beer companies to engage in the same activities. Many lawmakers felt it was unfair to single out one industry without also including other similarly regulated drugs, namely alcohol.

This means that for the time being, cannabis businesses are free to engage in pretty much whatever advertising they care to, with the important caveat that cannabis is still banned at the federal level, and so FCC regulations make it impossible to engage in certain common advertising practices that are open to other industries. For instance, you still won't be able to advertise cannabis in television or radio spots.

Even so, we strongly urge Arizona cannabis businesses to adhere to advertising guidelines that have been enacted in other states. You can get an overview of the industry marketing guidelines that we recommend here. Subscribing to these best practices will ensure that you are behaving in an ethical manner while also getting you ready for future possible regulation, either at the state or federal level.

ARIZONA CANNABIS PHOTOGRAPHERS AND VIDEOGRAPHERS

No matter where you're located in the State of Arizona, The Hood Collective's experienced team of photographers and videographers is firmly committed to supporting the marketing efforts of Arizona cannabis companies. Our premium services are perfectly priced and structured for small- and medium-sized businesses to incorporate into their overall marketing strategies. We use professional camera and lighting gear and expert post production to ensure all of your content is of high quality and adheres to your overall brand aesthetic. We also offer licensed drone pilot services to secure aerial footage of your farm, dispensary, facility, or event. Our content is suitable for your website, marketing materials, and social media. Best of all, our photography packages are structured in such a way that makes it easy for you to scale up as your business grows and becomes more successful.

Photography services provided by our cannabis photography team include:

Cannabis Product Photography
Cannabis Plant Photography
Cannabis Facility Photography
Cannabis Farm Photography
Cannabis Headshots
Cannabis Event Photography
Cannabis Aerial Photography
Cannabis Hemp Photography
Cannabis CBD Photography
Cannabis Lifestyle Photography

Unlike other marketing companies that offer video as an afterthought, video production has been at the center of our company since The Hood Collective was first founded. This includes a number of original web series and interview series that we produce on our own, such as Why Cannabis? (Unfortunately, our web series are on hiatus due to the pandemic.) Our commitment to producing high quality cannabis video content makes us one of the best cannabis video production teams in the nation. Our video team is able to assist you through the entire process, from scriptwriting and storyboarding to color correction and final post production. We use only professional-level production gear, including professional LED lighting, high-def cameras, and the latest in audio and recording technology. We even have an in-house animation team, ensuring your video content will feature premium motion graphics and title designs.

Our video production services include the following:

Cannabis Landing Page Videos
Cannabis Promo Videos
Cannabis Educational Videos
Cannabis Q&As
Cannabis Product Reviews
Cannabis Web Series
Customer Testimonials
Cannabis Event Videos
Cannabis Live Streaming
Cannabis Motion Graphics
Cannabis Drone Videos

ARIZONA CANNABIS GRAPHIC DESIGN

The Hood Collective offers cannabis specific graphic design and branding services. Because our company works exclusively in the cannabis industry, our graphic design services offer cannabis businesses the kind of targeted expertise that will help them avoid the cliches and create a unique and compelling brand identity that will connect with your potential customers in a meaningful and memorable way. In a brand new market like Arizona, anything that can help set you apart from the competition and establish you as a trusted Arizona cannabis brand is worth its weight in gold (or in cannabis!). By partnering with the The Hood Collective, you'll get premium graphic design for your print publishing, digital marketing, and social media.

Our professional graphic design team provides the following graphic design services:

Cannabis Logo Design
Cannabis Branding and Style Guides
Cannabis Packaging Design
Cannabis Animation
Cannabis 3D Design
Cannabis Poster Design
Cannabis Banner Design
Cannabis Web Design
Cannabis Business Card Design

WHERE WE OPERATE IN THE ARIZONA CANNABIS MARKET

The Hood Collective was founded on the West Coast, meaning we were especially excited to see legalization reach Arizona. Our services are available no matter where you are located in the state, including the following cities:

Phoenix, Arizona
Tempe, Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Tuscon, Arizona
Flagstaff, Arizona
Naperville, Illinois
Sedona, Arizona
Yuma, Arizona
Mesa, Arizona
Winslow, Arizona

Don't see your city listed? Don't worry, because we're able to travel anywhere our customers in Arizona need us.

WHY YOU SHOULD PARTNER WITH THE HOOD COLLECTIVE FOR YOUR ARIZONA CANNABIS MARKETING

The Hood Collective is firmly committed to supporting Arizona cannabis companies. Our approach is built first and foremost on creating a strong, meaningful relationship with our clients. This means we will always make your success our top priority. We believe in this plant, and we want all the growers, retailers, advocates, and entrepreneurs who are passionate about this industry to thrive. Because of our unique position within the industry, it allows us to become true partners to our clients. Unlike other companies that are just looking to get the next big score before moving on, we'll be with you in the good times and bad, assisting you to achieve your goals. Whether you are looking for professional video, photography, graphic design, drone, or audio content, we can help.

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