Research that investigates the benefits of cannabinoids (CBD) on human physiology is becoming more fully recognized and accepted, but the fact remains that many people are still confused about the similarities and differences between hemp and marijuana and between the effects of THC and CBD. As a Public Service Announcement, and if you haven’t already heard, cannabinoids and get-you-high marijuana are NOT the same thing!
That does not mean that the CBD industry has not had to deal with a wide range of misinformation, false advertisements, and even the proliferation of some complete and outright lies about CBD. Clearly, there is still quite a way to go. The FDA continues to move slowly in its endorsement of cannabinoids, and there are several states who have not yet made CBD legal. But probably one of the greatest impediments to the growing industry are the cliches that cling to the industry as a whole. Such cliches create consumer skepticism and generate an overall lack of confidence. When at all possible, the CBD industry should not only be avoiding them but making a real effort to combat them.
While many recognize the inaccuracies and unfairness of this representation, there is a great deal of education that still needs to occur to overcome it. Marketers, for example, need to understand the importance of opting for branding and advertising campaigns that leave off the marijuana leaf and use shipping materials that aren’t designed to conceal contents being delivered as if there is something to hide. Informing the general public about the differences between THC, CBD, and hemp are not only about what we say but what we do and how we present our products to the public.
CBD has different cultivation, purpose, and processes, but it’s hard to get the message of the medicinal qualities of CBD across when we are stigmatizing the way in which we present them. Smart branding means we use techniques that we do more than sell our consumers a product; we are developing informational techniques that promote an accurate understanding of what CBD is and does.
Promoting CBD product use, such as CBD Oil and CBD Gummies, means letting the general public know more about the extensive history of hemp. It was one of the earliest plants cultivated for textile fiber but was demonized in America in the 1930s due in part to its competitive edge with industries such as cotton, oil, and DuPont. It is shocking to see how the global use of hemp has declined so much that people barely recognize it as anything but a plant that “get you high.” There are scientific publications that document the benefits of hemp and a history of use dating back thousands of years. CBD can be used by the cosmetic, food supplement, and pharmaceutical industries, but because of outdated perceptions and connections to psychoactive THC in traditional marijuana, it is important for the CBD industry to separate itself from these images.
Instead of allowing the product to speak for itself through education and directed marketing, we say and do lame things that become part of “weed culture.” These cliches, because they are inherently flawed and open to attack, become the fodder for arguments against hemp and marijuana cultivation, use, and legalization. Images are powerful tools, making it difficult for the CBD industry to separate itself from the cliches about a 4:20 granola-crunchy lifestyle.
What are some common CBD cliches about CBD and marijuana you’d like to see go? Feel free to share here.
That does not mean that the CBD industry has not had to deal with a wide range of misinformation, false advertisements, and even the proliferation of some complete and outright lies about CBD. Clearly, there is still quite a way to go. The FDA continues to move slowly in its endorsement of cannabinoids, and there are several states who have not yet made CBD legal. But probably one of the greatest impediments to the growing industry are the cliches that cling to the industry as a whole. Such cliches create consumer skepticism and generate an overall lack of confidence. When at all possible, the CBD industry should not only be avoiding them but making a real effort to combat them.
“Man, I Got the Munchies!”
Due in no small part to the ways in which marijuana use has been portrayed in movies like Fast Times at Ridgemont High and The Big Lebowski, the cannabis industry carries with it a stigma that is difficult to shake. The public at large is still mostly unaware of the differences between hemp, THC, and CBD. Most consumers still view CBD as being part of a “4:20” recreational lifestyle and images of Shaggy from Scooby Doo saying “Zoinks!” and seeking out Scooby snacks at every turn certainly does little to legitimize CBD product use.While many recognize the inaccuracies and unfairness of this representation, there is a great deal of education that still needs to occur to overcome it. Marketers, for example, need to understand the importance of opting for branding and advertising campaigns that leave off the marijuana leaf and use shipping materials that aren’t designed to conceal contents being delivered as if there is something to hide. Informing the general public about the differences between THC, CBD, and hemp are not only about what we say but what we do and how we present our products to the public.
CBD has different cultivation, purpose, and processes, but it’s hard to get the message of the medicinal qualities of CBD across when we are stigmatizing the way in which we present them. Smart branding means we use techniques that we do more than sell our consumers a product; we are developing informational techniques that promote an accurate understanding of what CBD is and does.
Forgetting Bob Marley Was a Musician
It’s not hard to see why iconic figures like Bob Marley have been held up in marijuana folklore. The image of Bob Marley smoking is synonymous with creativity, music, and thumb-your-nose-at-the-government freedom. But what many people forget is that Bob Marley smoked marijuana as a ritual associated with his religion. As a Rastafarian, he used “ganja,” as marijuana was called, as a holy sacrament. Having converted to Rastafarianism from Christianity in the 1960s, he did not use marijuana in the recreational sense that many people do. Instead, it was reserved for religious, mystical, meditative, and medicinal purposes. As such, he did not view marijuana use as a casual matter but allowed it to stand as a symbol of both his culture and his religion.Promoting CBD product use, such as CBD Oil and CBD Gummies, means letting the general public know more about the extensive history of hemp. It was one of the earliest plants cultivated for textile fiber but was demonized in America in the 1930s due in part to its competitive edge with industries such as cotton, oil, and DuPont. It is shocking to see how the global use of hemp has declined so much that people barely recognize it as anything but a plant that “get you high.” There are scientific publications that document the benefits of hemp and a history of use dating back thousands of years. CBD can be used by the cosmetic, food supplement, and pharmaceutical industries, but because of outdated perceptions and connections to psychoactive THC in traditional marijuana, it is important for the CBD industry to separate itself from these images.
“It comes from the Earth!”
There are many things, like cyanide, that come from Mother Earth, but that doesn’t mean you want to ingest them. In an effort to legitimize the proliferation of its use, hemp and marijuana users have gone to great lengths to rationalize often creating harmful and lasting images that do little to assist the general public in becoming informed.Instead of allowing the product to speak for itself through education and directed marketing, we say and do lame things that become part of “weed culture.” These cliches, because they are inherently flawed and open to attack, become the fodder for arguments against hemp and marijuana cultivation, use, and legalization. Images are powerful tools, making it difficult for the CBD industry to separate itself from the cliches about a 4:20 granola-crunchy lifestyle.
What are some common CBD cliches about CBD and marijuana you’d like to see go? Feel free to share here.
