Why The Cannabis Industry Is About More Than Getting High.

Quinton Miller, Metropolitan State Universtity, Public Relations Major, April 19th, 2021, Post #4 type #4

Cannabis derived products cannot be marketed or operated by current means because its illegal; however, the market still exists as around the 33 states that have medical marijuana legalized. This opens the job market to advertising, marketing and public relations related work for the industry. The problem is that although more than 15 states have legalized recreational cannabis, it is still illegal at the federal level. In addition, there is the conversation surrounding the variety of hemp based products effectiveness.

The Cannabiz Team notes in their Instagram page that, “With 321,000 full-time cannabis employees (as of January 2021)- the cannabis industry has no signs of slowing down. The US cannabis industry has averaged a 27.5% growth since 2017.” https://www.instagram.com/p/CM0Bpc7hALQ/?igshid=hl5fqhwxkq18

Medical cannabis surveys cannot be legally approved by the National Institute of Health unless they are anonymously done, which bypasses the need for the organizations approval. The only problem with not receiving approval from the NIH is the lack of credibility. This could greatly impact cannabis stocks as well as demand for professionals who specialize in press releases. Furthermore, Cannabiz Media begun utilizing other avenues that had been traditionally used in getting the word out. Magazines and trade shows are popular marketing methods being used to promote business and their endeavors. These methods are almost as old as I. Social media’s like Google AdWords, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter have banned these ads for now, although pages may still exist. Practitioners are required to be mindful of these types of things going into this section of the corporate setting.

Practitioners work together to discuss the future of views sought after to express their companies identity.

I have studied the direction of marijuana, social media, technology and stocks during my senior year of high school. I had more time on my hands and it was a popolar topic at my school that no one was really knowledgeable of. I did presentations for my public speaking class. This led up to my enrollment to Metropolitan State University. I believe it is an emerging marketplace that is exclusive and therefore bound to become even more global. I have invested funds, thousands of dollars, and won in the stock market trading during its volatility. I see its potential. Once government agencies figure out how to gain tax revenue us each state consistently it will give way a sustainable market. Think of it like the prohibition era. Cannabis will be another example of alcohol or cigarette prohibition scenario except that it has popularized healing effects. It’s negative stigma is coming to a close and fading slowly through public relations and social awareness. Hemp products are becoming widely seen in local retailers such as Walmart, Walgreens, and CVS pharmacies. I see this as a potential career goal for myself because of the enjoyment I gain from trumping those who don’t see its potential. New York governor Andrew Como recently legalized Recreational Cannabis for the big apple. New York pledges to gear some of that money towards ethnic community’s funds.

Check out this post from the @CannabizTeam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CNFudOchNuK/?igshid=aoyrhsevj12m

Medically, cosmetically, economically and socially this cash crop has traction. This will not only subside Americans of the social systematic racist dogma, but also create opportunities for those who have been incarcerated for charges like possession for nonviolent offenders. This is a win win situation for American culture and economy.

A Critical Analysis of Retail Cannabis Marketing and Youth

Quinton Miller, Public Relations Major, MDST 485, January 30th, 2021, Post #3 Type #3

Parents of you social media As untrustworthy in the likes of influences on the children. My mother, in fact, did not approve of the possible exposure to different products online. She would fear me ordering weapons, drugs and coming involved in various online communities. My online empoxy business was prevented from creating Facebook ads because it mentioned that knives could be molded out of epoxy for sale. It mentioned in the rejection statements that drugs and weapons were not allowed for paid promotion. Once I removed the items and wording, they reassessed the page and pushed my ads through. This personal experience provides insight to the adversity social media marketing has combat and it’s endeavor to reach new audiences.

Cannabis media groups use educated speakers to spread ideas to specific audience groups here’s an example of a featured guest for an event coming in June of 2021: https://www.instagram.com/p/CN21m-HLOMP/?igshid=jhua7d7nwcnc

The light shun by cannabis companies are reaching adolescence in states where retail cannabis is legal. This is casting an unsavory image on the objectives these these companies. Similar adversities were faced with the advertisement of tobacco products. We know what the result of that was. Tobacco products are no longer allowed to be advertised. Mainly because they seem to target young audiences. The strategy with this was simple, if you find younger people they will become addicted, buy the product longer and result in long term consumers. The cannabis industry could use previous data and examples like these type of studies in order to avoid the same market mistakes of cigarette companies before their ads were banned.

Buying Both Marijuana and Cigarettes are Like Literally Burning Your Money. The Youth Shouldn’t Be Distracted With It.

Not only does this article include part of a survey in which marketing analytics of retail cannabis sales are compiled by use, it also involves tools with the most reach potential. Of those tools, Facebook is at the top of the list. Unfortunately, younger users are at the forefront of the study. I would imagine that the online marketing tools allow for age range options for target audiences desired to be reached. If not, it is imperative to urge social media restrictions of users who do not fit age range to view Cannabis related content. There may also be youth who are dishonest about their ages online. This source will show parents that mistakes can be fixed. It illustrates integrity and maturity for the business’s market.

What other ways do you think Cannabis’s inevitable legalization can be geared in the right direction? Here’s a link to the @MinorityCannabis Instagram post where panelists can contribute questions that will be answered such as these. Will you click to have your input heard?: https://www.instagram.com/p/CN2nzA_r24I/?igshid=u8b9lhqfis9g

Whitehill, J.M., Mareno M.A. (2020) Exposure to Cannabis Marketing in Social Media and Traditional Media and Past-Year Use Among Adolescents in States With Legal Retail Cannabis, Journal of Adolescent, Volume 66, Issue 2, 2020, Pages 247-254 Health Retrieved from: https://doi-org.mtrproxy.mnpals.net/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.08.024

Ethics of Online Research Using Publicly Posted Opinions

Quinton Miller, Public Relations Major, MDST 485, January 29th, 2021

Ethics are the moral principles that dictate a persons possible courses of action in given situations. This academic journal goes into depth on the belief that social media is or isn’t effective for collecting health research data. Relevancy to us is is captured by the means to how that data is collected in relation to a change that has happened in technology since this was written. The article explains that some individuals wonder if the data collected affects the people who posted it. Paraphrasing peoples words instead of copying still provides the same amount of insight. Gonzalez-Hernandez argues that the anonymity of sites such as Reddit allows for full reproduction of statements even when the wording is not changed. This could pose as an alternative source to peoples social network postings like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as the identities are further concealed in anonymous posts. As an additional personal input, I would argue that publicly made posts are already made to be seen as well as share opinions that can be used as research information on the web. Therefore, finding a conglomerate of unnamed opinions for researching purposes isn’t a terrible idea. Especially when social media sites, companies and developers actively listen for key phrases as is.

What I had absorbed is that the way things are done determine their clearance. This could help marketers in the way they present the data collected for commercial and legal purposes. This passage suggests that asking for opinions via surveys makes the research more clinical which requires consent. If the information is expressed publicly it illuminates the issue of meeting a full review by the National Institute of Health. For example, this entity, The National Institute of Health, wouldn’t allow research information related to medical marijuana to surface for credibility if it goes through them because the study of the drug is illegal in designated states, thus negatively pressuring it’s expansion and help to the nation. If anonymous opinions are recorded this study would be allowed to be utilized.

This is only one way to gather information as technology is ever changing and evolving. Bio-technology is predicted to become a more widely used assessment of specific individuals health structure in the near future. Biotech has been used by ancestry.com, myheritage.com and others to determine the ethnic make up of its paying users. I, myself, am awaiting my assessment. This technology will now be used more widely as it becomes more affordable and accurate than doctor diagnosis. Physicians, as qualified as they may be, sometimes inaccurately diagnose patients. This leads to more cost and less effectiveness. This redundancy can be avoided by using a biotech analysis of inherited health concerns and personalize a template for all age ranges of users.

Overall, what’s expressed in the reading is that the way things are done, determines its clearance. This could help marketers in the way they present the data they’ve collected for promotional and legal purposes. An example being, the passage suggesting that asking for opinions via surveys makes the research more clinical which requires consent. If information is expressed publicly, it leads the issue of needing a full review by the NIH.

Gonzalez-Hernandez, G. (2019) On The Ethics of Using Social Media for Health Research https://nlmdirector-nlm-nih-gov.mtrproxy.mnpals.net/2019/06/25/on-the-ethics-of-using-social-media-data-for-health-research/comment-page-1/

Biotechnology Innovation Organization https://archive.bio.org/articles/diagnostics

CBD in MN

Cannabidiol—CBD  is a chemical compound in cannabis that is beneficial from a medical standpoint. It gives people the medical benefits of cannabis, without getting the “high” or “stoned” feeling. CBD is still paving way for acceptance but has still has a stigma since it derives from the marijuana plant.

There has been tons of testing done on the benefits of CBD especially when we talk about seizures and general body inflammation. The major break through right now with Minnesota Medical Solutions is that they have developed a more potent strain of marijuana to extract CBD from. This is a vital procedure because it cuts production costs by making it easier to produce the plants, and making it cheaper to refine CDB from. Since Minnesota is one of the most restrictive states with medical marijuana it is a great opportunity to get rid of another obstacle standing in the way of patients in need of medicine that isn’t as harsh, and  providing an alternative solution to their medical needs.

Image from: https://grandvalleyhempinfusions.com/what-is-cbd/

From my point of view on CBD, if there is a medical solution with out experiencing the intoxicating aspects of marijuana it should be used medically. It has very minimal or close to none side effects and can help a large sum of our population. Obviously we still have a long journey on the way to legalization on both state and federal levels, but having medical CBD available is a step closer to legalization.

PDF on CBD testing results: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1250/8949/files/GRLabSheetPacketOctober.pdf?12689755168953608911/

StarTribune Article: http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-medical-marijuana-manufacturer-hopes-new-plant-will-push-down-prices/362716951/

Minnesota Medical Solutions website: http://minnesotamedicalsolutions.com/

 

 

 

 

 

80 Years Later… Prohibition and a Country of Hypocrites

December 5th marked the 80th anniversary of the repeal of prohibition and the ratification of the 18th amendment of the Constitution. The prohibition of alcohol lasted a total of 13 years starting in 1920. During this time it was illegal to sell, produce, import, or transport alcohol anywhere in the United States. Prohibition was an extremely controversial issue that divided the nation and changed how Americans view their rights under the constitution. Looking back, “The Great Experiment” was seen as a huge failure. Crime rates went up, tax revenue went down, and most Americans fell into one of three categories: dry, wet, or hypocrites.

The 21st amendment ended the national prohibition of alcohol, but more importantly, it gave individual states the right of implementing their own prohibition, on their own terms. This means that every state could have its own laws regulating the sales and production of alcohol. Mississippi was the last state to repeal prohibition in 1966. Until as late as 1987 it was illegal in the state of Kansas to sell liqour  by the drink on premises, which meant no bar hopping. Today, 8% of America is still dry, there are countless towns and counties across the US where the sale of alcohol is still illegal.

With each state having it’s own alcohol laws, lawmakers are able to tailor the laws to fit the wants of their constituents.  Perhaps that is why Wisconsin can sell alcohol at grocery stores and gas stations, while Minnesotan lawmakers choose not to allow this. This is the same reason why Minnesotans have to drive over to Wisconsin to buy beer on Sundays. For a while, the legal drinking age was also different from state to state. In one state the legal age could be 18, while a neighboring state could have set it at 21, it was the right of the state to choose.

Today, many states are reexamining the other “Great Experiment”, the prohibition of Marijuana. 21 states and Washington D.C., have now passed laws legalizing the use of Marijuana in some form. Washington state and Colorado have passed laws to legalize recreational Marijuana for adult use. So where are we going from here? Should the federal government stop regulating marijuana and leave it up to each state? 21 states have already made their own laws despite the federal government’s stance on the issue, is it safe to say that we are heading towards the legalization of marijuana around the rest of the country? At what point should the federal government just give up on enforcement?

http://www.governing.com/gov-data/state-marijuana-laws-map-medical-recreational.html

http://geekologie.com/2012/03/where-not-to-visit-the-us-guide-to-dry-c.php

http://www.marinij.com/lifestyles/ci_24656147/barfly-prohibition-is-over-well-almost.html

Related articles

• Celebrate the end of Prohibition with a drink today (pbs.org)
• Legalized pot could threaten the alcohol industry (salon.com)
• Activists push to fully legalize pot in Mass. (boston.com)