Cannabis Marketing Live

Hosted by Jake Litke

Business Marketing

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Latest episode

Jun 2026

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About the show

Your front-row seat to the trends and tactics fueling record growth for cannabis dispensaries, delivery, and brands. Welcome to Cannabis Marketing Live, the go-to show for MSO's, dispensary owners, delivery operators, and cannabis and CBD brands who want to grow smarter, not cheaper. Each episode, we bring you the latest trends, real-world case studies, and proven strategies from the industry’s top marketers, innovators, and entrepreneurs. From boosting retention to mastering omnichannel campaigns, you’ll get actionable insights you can put to work today — and the inspiration to stay ahead in a rapidly changing market.

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June 5, 2026Episode 858 min

What's Selling Across the Street: How to Use Cannabis Market Data to Fix Your Dispensary Product Mix

What does your product mix actually say about your dispensary's health?In this episode of Cannabis Marketing Life, Jake sits down with Kris Walker, co-founder of Hoodie Analytics, to talk about what 6 years of cannabis retail data actually reveals — and what most operators are still getting wrong.Kris brings a rare perspective: nearly 20 years at Nielsen, a CPG background, and a front-row seat to how cannabis retail has matured (and where it's still stuck). The conversation goes deep on trade area data, product mix decisions, and why chasing discount-driven revenue might be quietly killing your margins.In this episode:How Hoodie Analytics went from professional services to working with 16 of the top 20 cannabis brands in the countryWhy beverages don't sell online but fly off shelves in bodega-style storesThe discount death spiral — and why 90% of marketing spend goes to your least profitable customersDistribution, ACV, and the difference between a brand that sells because of salespeople vs. one consumers actually wantAI buyer and seller agents: what Hoodie is building (and why hallucinations are still a real problem)Trade area analysis and how to use competitor data to make smarter shelf decisionsBrand vs. retailer co-marketing: where the opportunity is, and why it's been slow to happenConnect with Kris Walker: chris@hoodieanalytics.com | hoodieanalytics.comFree cannabis marketing courses: mediajel.com/academyWant more great cannabis marketing tips?!Join thousands of others and gain access to exclusive cannabis marketing content, timely regulatory news, and advertising support: www.mediajel.com/cannabis-business-resource/Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MediaJelFollow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mediajel/Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mediajel/Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter): www.twitter.com/MediaJelLet's strategize about your business: www.mediajel.com/contact-us/

May 15, 2026Episode 71 hr 0 min

How to Increase Repeat Customers at Your Dispensary (Retention Audit Guide)

Why your best retention tool isn't your loyalty program — it's what happens between purchase one and purchase twoIn ten years of working with dispensaries, Steph Vrona has seen the same gap show up almost every time.It's not the loyalty program. It's not the email list. It's not even the promotions.It's what happens in the 48 hours after a customer's first visit, and most operators have no visibility into what that experience actually looks like, or whether it's working at all.Here's what the data tells us: only 16% of first-time dispensary customers continue shopping at the same store after their initial visit. MediumNot 45%. Not 60%. Sixteen percent.That means for every 100 new customers who walked through your door this month, 84 of them are already gone, and most dispensaries have no system in place to know why or what to do about it.This webinar is about fixing that. Not with a bigger ad budget. Not with deeper discounts. With a clear-eyed audit of what's actually happening inside your customer journey and a practical framework for closing the gaps.Last month, we talked about the 420 spike. This month is about the system.If you attended our 420 retention webinar, you heard the macro case: why post-event traffic doesn't convert to repeat revenue, and what the best operators do differently in the 30 days after a major sales moment.This session goes one level deeper. It's the operational layer, the one that determines whether any retention strategy, loyalty program, or marketing effort you run actually sticks.Because here's what most retention content misses: 88% of cannabis shoppers say budtenders shape their purchase decisions, and 85% say they'd return for knowledgeable staff. SweedposThe biggest retention lever in your business isn't in your CRM. It's on your floor. And most dispensaries have never audited it.The audit most operators have never run.Steph will walk us through:• The 5-point post-purchase audit you need to run on your store this week• A map of the most common customer journey breakdowns, and the fix for each one• How to segment your existing customer base into retention priority tiers using data you already have• The specific communication cadence that moves a first-time buyer toward a second visit — without discountingIf you've never formally audited your customer journey, this session will show you what you've been missing. If you have, Steph will show you where most audits stop short and what the next layer looks like.Want more great cannabis marketing tips?!Join thousands of others and gain access to exclusive cannabis marketing content, timely regulatory news, and advertising support: www.mediajel.com/cannabis-business-resource/Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MediaJelFollow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mediajel/Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mediajel/Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter): www.twitter.com/MediaJelLet's strategize about your business: www.mediajel.com/contact-us/

May 12, 2026Episode 658 min

Entering European Cannabis Markets: A Go-To-Market Framework

The European cannabis market is moving, but is it ready for you? In this episode of Cannabis Marketing Live, host Jake Litke (CEO of MediaJel) sits down with Jill Agnello, founder of JA Global Consulting, to break down what's actually happening across European and global cannabis markets right now.Jill has spent the last four years embedded in the international cannabis trade show circuit, from ICBC Berlin to Spannabis in Bilbao, and launched her own consultancy after leading international strategy at True Terpenes. She brings a grounded, boots-on-the-ground perspective on where the real opportunities are, and more importantly, where U.S. companies keep going wrong.In this episode:Germany's "full rec" reality and why it's nothing like California or New YorkWhy there's no consumer brand market in Europe yet (and when that might change)The novel foods framework blocking CBD edibles and beverages across the EUWhich markets are most viable right now for non-plant-touching businessesWhat South Africa, Thailand, Australia, Japan, and Latin America look likeThe three biggest mistakes companies make when entering international marketsWhy "intelligence before infrastructure" is the only smart entry strategyHow U.S. political tensions are (and aren't) affecting business conversations abroadIf you're a cannabis, hemp, or CBD company weighing international expansion, this is the reality check you need before you book a flight.Want more great cannabis marketing tips?!Join thousands of others and gain access to exclusive cannabis marketing content, timely regulatory news, and advertising support: www.mediajel.com/cannabis-business-resource/Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MediaJelFollow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mediajel/Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mediajel/Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter): www.twitter.com/MediaJelLet's strategize about your business: www.mediajel.com/contact-us/

April 30, 2026Episode 51 hr 2 min

After 420: How to Turn a Sales Spike Into a Retention System

A live webinar for cannabis operators who want predictable revenue, not just big days.Here's the number that should keep you up at night.Most dispensaries lose 45–55% of first-time buyers after a single visit. On a normal week that's painful. After 420, when your store just processed more new customers than any other day of the year, it's a revenue crisis hiding inside a great sales report.You ran the promotions. You drove the traffic. You had a record day.And in the next 30 days, roughly half of those new customers will never come back.Not because your product wasn't good. Not because your staff wasn't helpful. Because there was no system waiting for them on the other side of the sale.This problem isn't unique to cannabis, and that's the point.Beverage brands, beauty companies, and DTC wellness brands have spent the last decade solving exactly this. The playbook exists. Post-purchase sequencing, win-back windows, frequency triggers, segmentation by behavior rather than spend, these are not new ideas. They're proven mechanics from industries that faced the same retention cliff cannabis operators are hitting right now.Cannabis operators don't need to build these systems from scratch. They need to borrow them and adapt them for a regulated, dispensary-first retail environment.That's what this webinar is about.What you'll walk away with.Not frameworks. Not slides to screenshot. Actual things you can brief your team on Monday morning.The 5-to-7 day rule: industry data shows repeat purchase rate drops 40–60% if you don't re-engage a new customer within the first week after their visit.How to segment your 420 buyers into 4 retention tiers using data you already have in your POS and why treating them all the same is costing you basket size and visit frequencyThe one metric that predicts 90-day retention better than transaction count, most dispensaries never track it, but the operators with the strongest repeat visit rates obsess over itThe CPG playbook translated for cannabis, specific retention mechanics from outside the industry mapped to what's actually available to a dispensary operator right nowWhy your loyalty program probably isn't doing what you think it is — and the single change that converts points-collectors into actual repeat buyersConsider what's at stake: the average cannabis consumer shops at 3 different dispensaries. Your 420 customers are already comparison shopping. And research shows that increasing customer retention by just 5% can drive profits up by as much as 95%. The math on retention isn't complicated. The execution is where most operators stall — and that's exactly what this webinar is built to fix.Want more great cannabis marketing tips?!Join thousands of others and gain access to exclusive cannabis marketing content, timely regulatory news, and advertising support: www.mediajel.com/cannabis-business-resource/Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MediaJelFollow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mediajel/Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mediajel/Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter): www.twitter.com/MediaJelLet's strategize about your business: www.mediajel.com/contact-us/

March 27, 2026Episode 41 hr 1 min

Cannabis Retail Is Missing the Moment: How Merchandising Should Inspire Discovery and Drive Retention

How smart in-store and digital merchandising increases basket size, repeat rate, and full-price sell-through with Hannah O'Brien from Echtrai. Most dispensaries think retention is a loyalty program problem.Most think merchandising is a store layout problem.Both are wrong.Retention is driven by experience.Merchandising is what controls that experience at the point of decision.If you don’t control merchandising, you are forced to compete on price.If you do control it, you can protect margin and increase LTV simultaneously.‍The Margin Problem No One Wants to AdmitAcross cannabis retail, margin compression has become the norm. Increased competition, price transparency, and consumer deal sensitivity have pushed many dispensaries into a reactive cycle of discounting.On the surface, this looks like a pricing problem. In reality, it is a behavioral problem.When customers are overwhelmed, under-guided, or forced to choose based purely on brand or THC percentage, they default to price. Over time, this erodes perceived value and trains them to wait for promotions.The issue is not simply that discounts exist. It is that merchandising is not intentionally controlling the decision-making environment.‍Dispensary Merchandising Is Not What You Think It IsMerchandising is often associated with layout decisions. Shelf placement. Displays. Store design.But its impact goes far beyond visual presentation.Merchandising shapes the decision-making environment. It influences what feels valuable, what feels safe to choose, what feels premium, and what gets added to the basket.When merchandising is treated as a strategic growth lever rather than a visual one, it becomes a powerful driver of margin and customer behavior.In this session, you will see how intentional structural adjustments across both physical and digital environments can influence purchasing outcomes in measurable ways.‍Retention Is Decided Earlier Than You ThinkRetention is often discussed in the context of loyalty programs, SMS campaigns, and email automation.Those tools matter.But the foundation of retention is built at the first purchase experience. If that experience feels transactional and price-driven, repeat behavior becomes harder to earn. If it feels guided and confident, returning becomes natural.‍Your Menu Is Already Influencing Behavior Today’s cannabis customer often interacts with your online menu before ever entering your store. That digital environment shapes expectations, frames perceived value, and influences which products feel comparable.Menu structure does more than organize inventory. It guides attention, simplifies or complicates decisions, and subtly influences whether customers focus on price or on experience.In this session, we’ll examine how in-store and digital merchandising operate as a connected system, influencing basket size, full-price sell-through, add-on behavior, and repeat visits. The adjustments are often small. The revenue implications are not.‍Who Should Attend This Session?This webinar is designed for:Dispensary ownersRetail managersMSO retail leadershipOperations teamsMerchandising decision-makersIf you are trying to increase revenue while protecting profitability, this session will introduce a framework for thinking about retail growth differently.Want more great cannabis marketing tips?!Join thousands of others and gain access to exclusive cannabis marketing content, timely regulatory news, and advertising support: www.mediajel.com/cannabis-business-resource/Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MediaJelFollow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mediajel/Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mediajel/Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter): www.twitter.com/MediaJelLet's strategize about your business: www.mediajel.com/contact-us/

February 20, 2026Episode 31 hr 3 min

From Funding Prep to Execution: A Guide for Women & Minority Cannabis Founders

Female and minority founders face unique challenges in cannabis fundraising. But preparation is everything, and knowing what to do after you secure funding is just as critical as getting it.This isn't just another cannabis funding webinar. This is a practical two-part playbook: how to position yourself for funding success as a woman or minority entrepreneur, and how to turn that capital into sustainable revenue once you have it.What You'll LearnCannabis Funding Prep for Women & Minority EntrepreneursHow to position your business for funding success as a woman or minority entrepreneurWhat investors are actually looking for (and common misconceptions)Building your network and leveraging community for funding opportunitiesLessons from raising capital for Event and building Blunt BrunchResources and programs specifically for women and minority cannabis entrepreneursHow to tell your story in a way that resonates with fundersPost-Funding Execution Strategy for Cannabis StartupsWhat to do in the first 90 days after securing capitalTurning investment into revenue: prioritizing your spendCommon mistakes that drain your runway (and how to avoid them)Building a marketing and growth strategy that delivers ROICreating systems and processes that scaleHow Ernest's incubator helps BIPOC entrepreneurs execute after receiving grantsThe Full Picture This conversation covers both sides of the funding equation: getting ready to raise capital as a female or minority founder, and executing effectively once you have it. Whether you're pre-funding or post-funding, you'll walk away with actionable guidance.Why This Matters NowWomen receive only 2.3% of venture capital funding across all industriesMinority founders face even steeper odds in securing traditional fundingThe cannabis funding gap is wider for female and BIPOC entrepreneursMost founders who secure capital struggle with execution and burn through their runwayHaving a clear post-funding playbook is the difference between success and failureWho Should AttendCannabis entrepreneurs seeking fundingFounders who've raised capital but need execution guidanceWomen and BIPOC entrepreneurs navigating funding challengesWhat to ExpectThis is a live, interactive conversation. We'll cover real challenges, real solutions, and leave time for your questions. You'll walk away with:✓ A clear understanding of funding options available today ✓ Practical next steps based on your business stage ✓ Insights from entrepreneurs who've successfully navigated this journey ✓ Resources and connections to explore furtherWant more great cannabis marketing tips?!Join thousands of others and gain access to exclusive cannabis marketing content, timely regulatory news, and advertising support: www.mediajel.com/cannabis-business-resource/Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MediaJelFollow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mediajel/Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mediajel/Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter): www.twitter.com/MediaJelLet's strategize about your business: www.mediajel.com/contact-us/

February 6, 2026Episode 21 hr 4 min

The 2026 Cannabis Marketing Survival Guide: State-by-State Playbook

State market maturity determines your cannabis marketing strategy. What works in an early-stage market won’t work in a mature or highly competitive environment. As cannabis market growth accelerates across the U.S., operators need a 2026-ready strategy that adapts to each stage of maturity.This webinar breaks down the essential frameworks for three distinct maturity tiers:Pre-Launch & New Markets: Build the right foundation before your doors open and avoid costly early mistakes.Growth Markets: Scale smart as competition heats up, regulations stabilize, and dispensary growth accelerates.Mature Markets: Cut through the noise and capture market share in crowded statesWho Needs a 2026 Cannabis Marketing Strategy?Dispensary Owners & Operators planning expansion or looking to optimize current marketsMSO Marketing Teams managing multi-state campaigns across varying regulationsCannabis Brand Marketers navigating retailer relationships and direct-to-consumer strategiesNew Market Entrants preparing to launch in emerging markets‍Marketing Directors seeking compliant, measurable strategies to justify their budgetMarkets: CA, CO, WA, OR, MIWhen everyone's advertising, how do you stand out in 2026?In mature markets, the rules have changed. You're no longer competing on novelty; you're competing on precision, brand loyalty, and operational excellence. This section of the webinar focuses on advanced cannabis marketing strategy principles designed for high-density, high-competition environments.Learn How To:Leverage advanced audience segmentation beyond basic demographicsOptimize your marketing mix when CTV, DOOH, and digital all compete for budgetBuild defensible competitive moats through data and customer retentionUse predictive analytics to identify your highest-value customersKey Discussion Topics:How mature operators are approaching cannabis budget allocation for 2026The shift from acquisition-first to retention-first strategiesCompetitive positioning when 10+ dispensaries are within 5 milesAttribution modeling in states with established e-commerce ecosystemsYou've won a license in a new state. Now what?Expanding into a new market is expensive and risky. The operators who succeed enter with a clear go-to-market plan that accounts for local regulations, competitive dynamics, and customer education needs. Learn How To:Conduct rapid competitive analysis, including product mix and pricing vs competitorsBuild compliant pre-launch awareness campaignsBuild strong merchandising and brand foundations before scaling mediaPrioritize marketing channels based on state-specific regulationsEstablish measurement frameworks from day oneKey Discussion Topics:The 90-day market entry marketing timelineHow to research and map your competitive landscape quicklyBuilding brand awareness when you can't use traditional channelsRegulatory pitfalls that delay launches (and how to avoid them)Resource allocation: what to handle in-house vs. outsourceMarkets: IL, NJ, NY, OH, MD, and EmergingBuild it right the first time. Scale smart as competition increases, regulations stabilize, and your dispensary growth strategy becomes critical to long-term success.Growth markets offer the biggest opportunities and risks. Get your foundation wrong, and you'll spend years (and millions) trying to correct it. This module focuses on building scalable systems aligned with long-term cannabis market growth.Learn How To:Want more great cannabis marketing tips?!Join thousands of others and gain access to exclusive cannabis marketing content, timely regulatory news, and advertising support: www.mediajel.com/cannabis-business-resource/Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MediaJelFollow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mediajel/Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mediajel/Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter): www.twitter.com/MediaJelLet's strategize about your business: www.mediajel.com/contact-us/

January 23, 2026Episode 11 hr 3 min

Dispensary Discounts Are Killing Your Retention: How Culture, Community, and Experience Build Demand Without Discounting

Most dispensaries think retention lives at the register.Loyalty points. SMS offers. BOGO deals.Short-term lifts that quietly train customers to wait for the next discount.But real retention does not happen at checkout.It happens between visits.Between visits is where preference forms.Where trust compounds.Where customers decide who they come back to before they ever open a menu.In this session, we unpack how Mary & Main has built repeat demand by focusing on culture, staff empowerment, and community experience instead of racing to the bottom on price.Join Jael Harris, Chief Creative Strategist at MORE Media Co and Brand Marketing Manager at Mary & Main, for a candid breakdown of what retention really looks like when it is driven by connection, not coupons.This is not a loyalty program talk.This is about what customers remember, feel, and talk about after they leave and before they return.Because cannabis customer retention is not a transaction.It is a relationship carried forward.‍What “Between Visits” Actually MeansBetween visits is everything that shapes a customer’s next decision before they walk back into the store.Not the receipt.Not the POS.Not a punch card.It is:How staff made them feel the last time they were thereWhether the brand shows up in their community authenticallyHow culture and education replace pressure and upsellsWhether the experience gives them something to identify with, not just something to buyMary & Main has proven that when you build preference, retention follows naturally and price sensitivity drops.‍What You Will LearnWhy discount-driven loyalty programs cap long-term growthHow culture and staff autonomy directly impact repeat behaviorHow to think about retention as influence, not incentivesIf you are tired of discounting your way to repeat visits and want to build a dispensary retention strategy that protects margin, this session is for you.Want more great cannabis marketing tips?!Join thousands of others and gain access to exclusive cannabis marketing content, timely regulatory news, and advertising support: www.mediajel.com/cannabis-business-resource/Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MediaJelFollow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mediajel/Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mediajel/Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter): www.twitter.com/MediaJelLet's strategize about your business: www.mediajel.com/contact-us/

December 2, 2025Episode 121 hr 1 min

Reddit AI Marketing: How AI Shapes Cannabis Brand Visibility

AI is reshaping how consumers discover products and Reddit is quickly becoming one of the most influential signals behind what shows up in those searches. With OpenAI’s recent launch of native shopping inside ChatGPT, Reddit conversations are now more powerful than ever in shaping how products, brands, and education appear across AI search results.In this session, we’ll break down how cannabis and CBD brands can use Reddit to influence what AI models “learn” about them and how to build a strategy that earns organic visibility in the new era of conversational shopping.We’re joined by Danny Kirk, Founder of ReddiReach, and Filipe Lins Duarte, the co-founder of AI Peekaboo.Danny will share how brands can authentically grow on Reddit through community-first strategies and platform-native engagement, helping cannabis marketers future-proof their visibility and reputation as AI increasingly draws from Reddit data.Filipe will unpack how AI is reshaping search and brand discovery, showing how large language models, such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity, reference your brand, competitors, and content, helping marketers understand and improve their presence in AI-generated results.Here’s what you’ll learn:How Reddit data is influencing AI search results and brand visibilityWhy and how authentic engagement on Reddit builds long-term SEO and AI discoverabilityA content framework to position your brand as the trusted source AI models referenceIf you manage a dispensary, lead a cannabis brand, or run a marketing agency, this session will show you how to future-proof your digital presence in a world where AI answers are replacing Google results.Want more great cannabis marketing tips?!Join thousands of others and gain access to exclusive cannabis marketing content, timely regulatory news, and advertising support: www.mediajel.com/cannabis-business-resource/Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MediaJelFollow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mediajel/Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mediajel/Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter): www.twitter.com/MediaJelLet's strategize about your business: www.mediajel.com/contact-us/

November 3, 2025Episode 111 hr 0 min

The Yelp of Cannabis: How Budist is Shaping the Future of Cannabis Reviews

When it comes to cannabis, finding trustworthy product information can be a challenge. Budist is changing that. Built by industry insiders, Budist empowers consumers and certified cannabis experts to submit detailed product reviews using a 100-point rating system, creating a central hub for credible cannabis insights.Join us for an exclusive conversation with the co-founder and CEO of Budist, Jocelyn Sheltraw, the industry’s first social review platform built to help cannabis consumers, experts, and brands connect through credible, transparent product ratings. Discover how expert-led and consumer-led reviews are changing the way cannabis products are bought, sold, and experienced.In this live webinar, we’ll explore Budist’s origin story, the challenges of building a review-based platform in a regulated market, and the unique role expert reviews play in shaping buying behavior.What You’ll Learn• How Budist Went from Idea to Industry First – The backstory, pivotal moments, and lessons learned building a cannabis review platform from the ground up.• Why Credible Reviews Matter More Than Ever – The difference between expert-led and consumer-led reviews, and why both are critical for shaping purchase decisions.• The Future of Cannabis Buying Behavior – How data-driven insights from Budist could influence the products you create, stock, or buy.Whether you’re a cannabis brand looking to improve your products or a consumer who wants to make smarter choices, you’ll leave with a new understanding of how reviews can elevate the cannabis experience.‍--------------------------------------------------------------Want more great cannabis marketing tips?!Join thousands of others and gain access to exclusive cannabis marketing content, timely regulatory news, and advertising support: www.mediajel.com/cannabis-business-resource/Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MediaJelFollow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mediajel/Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mediajel/Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter): www.twitter.com/MediaJelLet's strategize about your business: www.mediajel.com/contact-us/Want more great cannabis marketing tips?!Join thousands of others and gain access to exclusive cannabis marketing content, timely regulatory news, and advertising support: www.mediajel.com/cannabis-business-resource/Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MediaJelFollow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mediajel/Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mediajel/Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter): www.twitter.com/MediaJelLet's strategize about your business: www.mediajel.com/contact-us/