As the legal cannabis industry grows and becomes more competitive, you may be searching for ways to make your business stand out. While traditional methods of marketing and advertising may be effective in some ways, the unique challenges that a cannabis business may face can call for a special approach. The laws that regulate how you can advertise for your cannabis business may be much more restrictive than those for other business sectors. Because of this, branding has become especially critical in the marijuana industry. You may need to seek legal guidance as to what you can and cannot do to brand most effectively while still complying with the law. Let’s take a closer look at branding and how it can help your cannabis business.

What Is Branding?

In its simplest form, branding is the act of giving your company a specific design or symbol in order to advertise your products and services. This relies heavily on the visual representation of products. However, branding is much more than that — it also involves reputation and public perception. All of these elements are integrally connected and play off of each other. The role that branding plays in the cannabis industry is particularly pronounced due to restrictions on how marijuana products can be advertised. You may have to be more creative, then, when it comes to cultivating a brand to differentiate your products or services so that you can appeal to your target audience while not running afoul of the law.

Why Is Branding Important?

Regardless of whether you actively try to shape how your business is perceived, a reputation will inevitably begin to form. That is why it is strategically important to consider your approach to branding from the onset. Controlling how consumers view your business and its products or services is clearly preferable to the alternative. But branding has other important benefits beyond shaping how users view your business. A company with a strong brand and reputation may be able to attract and retain better employees who can be critical to the business’s success.

How Do I Build My Brand?

The most common approach to branding is creating a name and logo that resonates with your target consumers. Because cannabis cannot be purchased legally by anyone under the age of 21, you must approach your branding in a way that appeals to adults only. This means that some of the traditional methods of creating a brand may not be options for your cannabis business. Recognizing what has worked within the industry may be a valuable step when considering how to begin to brand your business. For example, while it still is subject to restrictions under state law, merchandise has been a successful mode of branding and marketing within the cannabis industry.

How Can A Marijuana Lawyer Help?

Retaining the services of a marijuana lawyer is an important component of establishing your brand. Not only can an experienced marijuana attorney help you to comply with the laws governing branding for the cannabis industry, but, once you create a logo or trademark, your attorney can help you to make sure that it is not currently being used by another business. If your logo is, in fact, unique, then you’ll want to prevent other businesses from using your logo or a similar logo that could easily be confused with yours. An experienced marijuana lawyer can help you to protect your business’s brand identity by filing the appropriate legal documents. If your business has a trade secret that you want to protect, such as a unique process that you use in harvesting marijuana, then your marijuana lawyer can help with that, too. Lastly, if any disputes arise concerning your brand, then your lawyer will be there to help resolve them on your behalf.