The best cannabis PR campaigns, also called marijuana PR campaigns, earn attention without paid ads on Google, Meta, or television. Five documented cases show how: Marley Natural in 2016, Khalifa Kush from 2016 to 2022, Houseplant in 2019 and 2021, Cannabist's West Virginia launch in 2022, and Tyson 2.0's Mike Bites in 2022. Results range from a sold-out launch week to $50 million in annual sales, according to Cannabis Business Times and Hoodie Analytics.
- Marley Natural paired a legacy name with a birthday launch date and also drew public criticism.
- Khalifa Kush built sales over years with its own strains and distribution partners.
- Houseplant sold out in 24 hours, according to Cannabis Business Times, by marketing a lifestyle brand alongside cannabis.
- Cannabist won an industry PR award with local media work and patient education, no celebrity needed.
- Tyson 2.0 earned national coverage by turning a 1997 boxing moment into a product.
What Makes a Cannabis PR Campaign One of the Best?
A cannabis PR campaign ranks among the best when it has a documented launch, a specific hook, and a result that someone other than the brand reported. These five cases were chosen against that test, and each section names where its figures come from.
- The campaign has a dated, public launch.
- The hook is specific: a name, a date, a joke, or a patient need.
- The results come from a named outlet, analytics firm, or award body.
- The campaign worked inside cannabis advertising restrictions.
Several results below are reported by the brands or their agencies, and the article labels them that way.
Marley Natural: Can a Legacy Name Launch a Cannabis Brand?
A legacy name can launch a cannabis brand, but Marley Natural shows the brand also has to absorb criticism. Privateer Holdings, a Seattle investment firm, announced Marley Natural in 2014 on NBC's TODAY show under a 30-year licensing deal with the family of reggae artist Bob Marley, according to NBC News and Reuters.
Products launched on February 6, 2016, which would have been Marley's 71st birthday, according to MJBizDaily. The line began in three California dispensaries, chosen for how clean and organized they were.
Criticism followed the launch. MJBizDaily reported that some observers called the brand a corporate sellout, and Nation News reported objections from the Rastafari Millennium Council in Jamaica. A brand built on a legacy name gets coverage and scrutiny at the same time, so it needs a public answer ready for the question of who benefits.
Khalifa Kush: Does Authenticity Beat Fame in Cannabis?
Authenticity appears to outsell fame in cannabis, based on the sales ranking of Khalifa Kush. Hoodie Analytics data reported by GreenState put the rapper Wiz Khalifa's brand above $50 million in 2024 sales, the best of any celebrity cannabis brand.
Herb reported that the brand made its first commercial sales in 2016 and partnered with Cookies in January 2022 to launch in California, one of the most competitive cannabis markets. The same Hoodie Analytics data, as reported by Herb, put Tyson 2.0 at about $20 million and Snoop Dogg's Death Row Cannabis at $2 million to $3 million, 20th among celebrity brands.
Herb attributes Khalifa Kush's standing to proprietary genetics and a consistent identity. The pattern is years of building a product people recognize, with partners handling entry into new states.
Houseplant: How Do You Market Cannabis Without Ads?
Houseplant markets cannabis through a lifestyle brand, which lets it promote home goods freely while keeping cannabis messaging inside the rules. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg announced Houseplant with Canopy Growth in Canada on March 27, 2019, according to CNBC, and launched in California on March 11, 2021.
TechCrunch reported that the company runs two Instagram accounts, one for housewares and one for cannabis. Rogen told TechCrunch that cannabis messaging comes with many things a brand can and cannot do.
Cannabis Business Times reported that Houseplant's California inventory sold out within 24 hours and that the brand logged more than 500 million media impressions that week. Business Insider reported that the brand's website crashed under launch-day traffic.
TechCrunch also reported that Houseplant exited the Canadian market in April 2021, so the lesson here is about the U.S. launch, not the company's full record.
Cannabist West Virginia: Can PR Open a New Medical Market?
Public relations can open a new medical cannabis market, according to the campaign that won the first "Best Use of PR" award at the Cannabis Marketing Association Seven Awards in 2023. The agency Durée & Company ran the campaign for Columbia Care's Cannabist brand in West Virginia in February and March 2022, aiming to raise the number of medical card holders as Cannabist entered five cities.
Cannabist was one of the first dispensaries in each county it served. Durée & Company pitched media on story angles and promoted educational events that explained the state's medical program, how to get a medical card, and how to choose products, according to the agency's announcement.
Durée & Company reported more than 64 million media impressions in just over two months. That figure comes from the agency, and the awards were judged by independent jurors.
Tyson 2.0 Mike Bites: Does Humor Sell Cannabis?
Humor earns cannabis coverage when it connects to a story the audience already knows. Tyson 2.0 launched Mike Bites, ear-shaped cannabis gummies that nod to Mike Tyson's 1997 bite of Evander Holyfield's ear, on March 15, 2022, according to CBS Sports.
The launch drew coverage from CNN and CBS Sports, and Tyson promoted it on Twitter by saying the ears taste good. The gummies debuted in dispensaries in California, Massachusetts, and Nevada. World Boxing News noted some backlash and tied the release to the 25th anniversary of the 1997 fight.
Hoodie Analytics data reported by Herb put Tyson 2.0 at about $20 million in 2024 sales. No sales figure for Mike Bites alone appeared in the sources reviewed.
How Do the Five Campaigns Compare?
The five campaigns differ most in hook and in who reported the result, as the table shows.
| Campaign | Year | Hook | Reported result | Source of result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marley Natural | 2016 | Legacy name, birthday launch | Three-dispensary launch and public criticism | MJBizDaily |
| Khalifa Kush | 2016 to 2022 | Own strains, Cookies partnership | Above $50 million in 2024 sales | Hoodie Analytics via GreenState |
| Houseplant | 2021 U.S. launch | Lifestyle brand with home goods | Sold out in 24 hours, 500 million impressions | Cannabis Business Times |
| Cannabist West Virginia | 2022 | Patient education in a new medical market | 64 million impressions | Durée & Company |
| Tyson 2.0 Mike Bites | 2022 | Ear-shaped gummies tied to 1997 fight | CNN and CBS Sports coverage, launch in three states | CBS Sports, CNN |
What Do the Best Cannabis PR Campaigns Have in Common?
The best cannabis PR campaigns share three traits: a hook the audience already understands, a channel that is not paid advertising, and a partner that supplies shelf space or credibility.
- A familiar hook, such as an artist birthday, a boxing moment, design taste, or a new state program
- Earned or owned channels, such as a national television segment, personal social accounts, or local media pitching
- A distribution or credibility partner, such as Privateer Holdings, Cookies, Canopy Growth, or Columbia Care
Trade events give campaigns a launch point, and the MJBizCon PR playbook covers that route. The Cannabis Communications Gap report documents why most cannabis brands still underinvest in these channels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cannabis PR campaign?
No single cannabis PR campaign is best for every goal. Houseplant produced the biggest reported launch week, Khalifa Kush the largest sustained sales, and Cannabist's West Virginia launch the best documented non-celebrity result. The right model depends on whether a brand has a famous name or has to build trust from scratch.
Do marijuana PR campaigns work without paid ads?
Marijuana PR campaigns work without paid ads because earned media, owned content, and social accounts stay open to cannabis brands. Houseplant, Cannabist, and Tyson 2.0 all gained coverage that way. The platform limits themselves are covered in the analysis of cannabis advertising restrictions.
Does a cannabis brand need a celebrity?
A cannabis brand does not need a celebrity to earn press coverage or generate demand. The Cannabist West Virginia campaign won an industry PR award using local media pitching and patient education events. Celebrity brands show wide results, since Hoodie Analytics data reported by Herb puts Khalifa Kush above $50 million in 2024 sales and Death Row Cannabis at $2 million to $3 million.
How should a cannabis brand plan a PR program?
A cannabis brand should start with compliant owned content and trade media before pitching consumer press. The cannabis digital marketing services overview covers that sequence, and the Cannabis AI Visibility Index shows which cannabis brands AI engines cite most. A cannabis marketing agency can run the program end to end.
