Google and Meta (Instagram and Facebook) impose strict restrictions on paid advertising for cannabis products. This limits brands’ access to these major advertising platforms. In the United States, federal laws and state-specific regulations add further restrictions on cannabis brand marketing. Restrictions vary depending on jurisdiction, cannabis product type, and advertising method.
These limitations make digital public relations (PR), like earned media and media buying, important for these businesses seeking to reach their target audience. The key is to find the best agencies for your cannabis brands.
Why Cannabis Brands Need a Specialised PR Agency.
Marketing a marijuana brand comes with a set of barriers that many digital advertising companies may easily overlook. There are strict advertising guidelines on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms, as well as on paid ads on Google.
In addition, the regulations regarding cannabis brand marketing are not the same in all states or jurisdictions across the world. Hence, what works in New York may not apply in Iowa or in the United Kingdom. An agency that overlooks these differences may recommend unsuitable promotional tactics or expose a business to compliance risks.
Specialised cannabis PR agencies are more likely to understand these industry-specific challenges. Depending on their services and experience, they can help your brand develop newsworthy stories, build relationships with relevant journalists, secure earned media coverage, and strengthen organic visibility.
Remember, you will need to confirm that proposed campaigns comply with applicable laws and platform policies.
Best 8 Cannabis PR Companies Worth Considering.
When assessing the PR agencies highlighted in this guide, our digital PR team considered more than just the firm’s listed services. Factors that guided the assessment process include each company’s reputation, experience in the cannabis industry, ability to secure meaningful media coverage, and how their services supported broader digital visibility. Here is a summary of the assessment process.
| Evaluation Criterion. | What was Considered |
| Cannabis industry experience. | Experience working with cannabis, hemp, or CBD brands, dispensaries, and related businesses. |
| Digital PR services. | Media relations, journalist outreach, online publications, thought leadership, and reputation management. |
| Media coverage and results. | Publicly available case studies, named clients, published placements, and other evidence of campaign outcomes. |
| Regulatory awareness. | Evidence of understanding the advertising restrictions and legal considerations affecting cannabis businesses in their target markets. |
| Transparency and service fit. | Clarity about its services, approach, reporting, and the types of clients an agency is best equipped to support. |
Based on these factors, here are the eight digital PR agencies that cannabis brands consider for their campaigns.
#1. Detutu Media
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Best for: Cannabis and CBD brands looking to earn editorial coverage, media buying, and improve search and AI visibility.
Detutu Media takes a media-placement approach to digital PR, helping businesses get featured on online publications. The agency also implements influencer collaborations and data-led digital PR designed to attract quality editorial backlinks. For cannabis businesses, this offers a way to build recognition in a market where paid advertising can be difficult.
Additionally, Detutu Media combines media relations with SEO and generative engine optimisation (GEO) to connect earned coverage with broader search visibility. Detutu Media is a good option for CBD and hemp brands launching new products, expanding into new markets, or building recognition beyond their own websites
#2. MATTIO
Location: New York City, USA.
Best for: Established cannabis companies seeking mainstream media coverage and integrated communications.
MATTIO has worked in the cannabis industry since 2014. The agency has helped businesses reach audiences through media relations, influencer partnerships, executive thought leadership, and digital marketing. Its approach extends beyond cannabis trade publications to mainstream business, lifestyle, and consumer media.
This breadth of services may benefit multi-state operators, established cannabis brands, cannabis technology companies, and businesses preparing for a major product launch.
#3. United Press
Location: United Kingdom
Best for: UK CBD and hemp brands seeking digital PR, editorial coverage, and relevant backlinks.
Based in the UK, United Press focuses on helping CBD, hemp, and wellness brands earn coverage in business, lifestyle, and national media. Its services include journalist outreach, brand and founder profiling, product launch announcements, and thought leadership.
United Press’ services best suit CBD retailers, hemp product manufacturers, wellness brands, and businesses launching products or building visibility in the UK market.
#4. NisonCo
Location: New Jersey, USA.
Best for: Cannabis brands that want earned media and SEO to work together.
Getting local media coverage is only part of NisonCo’s services. The agency develops story angles and connects cannabis, hemp, and CBD businesses with journalists, reviewers, podcasts, and other relevant media contacts. Its services include press releases, executive thought leadership, product reviews, and press training.
NisonCo also offers SEO, giving brands an opportunity to connect media attention with longer-term search presence.
#5. Marigold PR
Location: Oakville, Ontario (Canada)
Best for: Canadian cannabis businesses seeking integrated branding, PR, and industry marketing.
Marigold PR has worked with cannabis businesses since 2016, alongside clients in technology and other sectors. Its services include public relations, publicity strategy, social media, influencer relations, branding, and integrated marketing for both B2B and consumer audiences.
The agency also founded Tether, a community connecting cannabis brands with budtenders across Canada. That industry connection gives it a distinct angle for brands seeking to strengthen both their public profile and relationships within the cannabis retail sector.
#6. Avaans Media
Location: USA
Best for: Funded cannabis startups and businesses preparing for investment or acquisition.
For cannabis companies preparing for their next stage of growth, Avaans Media offers PR designed around specific business milestones. Its cannabis services cover consumer and B2B public relations, dispensary PR, product launches, content strategy, and media relations. The agency also highlights work involving funding, mergers and acquisitions, and growth-stage positioning.
#7. Grassfed Media
Location: Washington, DC, USA.
Best for: CBD, cannabis wellness, and lifestyle brands looking for audience-focused storytelling.
Grassfed Media works with cannabis and CBD businesses across categories such as skincare, edibles, lifestyle products, and telemedicine. Its services span public relations, content strategy, copywriting, digital media, influencer engagement, partnerships, and product launches. The agency also highlights coverage for clients in major publications and media outlets.
Prospective clients should confirm that their experience matches their specific products and target markets.
#8. Grasslands
Location: Colorado, USA.
Best for: Cannabis companies seeking thought leadership and meaningful industry media coverage.
Grasslands takes a journalism-inspired approach to public relations. Rather than relying only on company announcements, the agency helps cannabis businesses develop stories and expert perspectives that give journalists a reason to pay attention. Its services include earned media placements, contributed articles, speaking opportunities, media training, and crisis communications.
This digital PR agency works with businesses across the cannabis supply chain, from cultivators and dispensaries to technology providers and other industry suppliers. It is worth considering for brands that want to build authority through informed commentary and sustained media relationships.
How to Choose the Best Digital PR Agency for Cannabis Brands
Digital PR focuses on shaping how audiences perceive your brand. That means your preferred agency should help get coverage from influencers, journalists, and third-party industry publications instead of paid ads. Earned media is likely to be more credible because it does not come directly from the business. That level of credibility carries extra weight in the Cannabis industry, which is highly regulated.
Here are important factors you should consider when choosing a digital PR firm for your cannabis business.
Assess Media Relationships & Industry Expertise
A clear differentiator between a reliable agency and an unreliable one is genuine media relationships. The value of a digital PR agency lies in whether reporters and publication editors open the agency’s pitches and publish their stories.
Therefore, you should weigh the quality of the PR agency’s relationships across outlets that matter to your brand. Such outlets may include trade publications, national consumer press, local or regional news coverage, and more. Here are other core competencies you should pay attention to;
- The agency’s fluency in cannabis-related content and journalistic instinct to create stories that interest readers.
- A clear sense of how earned media will be tied back to the short- and long-term business goals.
- Deep understanding of regulatory compliance. That means messaging should avoid youth-appealing content and health claims that could cause regulatory scrutiny.
- Whether the agency can customise the entire digital PR campaign to align with your broader marketing efforts and goals.
Timelines, Pricing, & Setting Expectations
The cost of digital PR for cannabis brands varies widely depending on the agency you hire and the scope of your campaigns. Many PR service providers structure their contracts as either an ongoing retainer or a fixed-scope campaign tied to a buying season or specific launch. Therefore, talk to your preferred agency about the costs before signing an agreement with them.
Expectations around campaign timelines and results matter just as much as cost details. Earned media may not produce quick results like paid ads. This is because building quality relationships, educating audiences, shaping consistent brand messaging, and earning quality editorial backlinks is a long game. However, a good agency will track key performance indicators and compare them against an established baseline.
Speciality and Services
Digital PR in the cannabis industry isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing, and companies tend to focus on different PR aspects. Some concentrate on consumer brand storytelling and crisis management. Others focus on B2B and investor communications or thought leadership that positions a cannabis brand as a trusted voice in the industry.
The right digital PR agency will depend on your target audiences and license type. For example, a multi-state cannabis company has different PR needs from a plant-touching dispensary’s local clientele. Many agencies like Detutu Media align digital PR with other related services like SEO, GEO, content marketing, and more.
Pay Attention to Various Red Flags
A common mistake in digital PR is treating public relations as advertising and expecting to purchase media placements right away. Reporters, journalists, and editors often respond to stories that serve their audiences. So choose an agency that takes the correct approach to align audience interest with the pitched story.
When it comes to regulatory compliance, careless messaging can water down your PR campaign efforts. Content that makes unverified medical claims or that appears to appeal to minors can draw regulatory scrutiny to your brand. Other red flags to watch for include;
- Thin references that do not seem genuine.
- Unclear information on who will manage your account.
- Vague promises of guaranteed top media coverage.
Conclusion
Cannabis brands face advertising restrictions, changing regulations across markets, and other marketing challenges. The right digital PR agency can help your business earn relevant media coverage, build credibility, and reach audiences through compliant digital PR strategies.
Before choosing a partner, assess its cannabis industry experience, media relationships, and ability to connect PR with your brand’s growth goals.