ALBANY, NY (WENY)--CANNABIS RETAIL BRANDS MAY HAVE MORE FLEXIBILITY WHEN IT COMES TO PRICE PROMOTIONS, PACKAGING AND EVEN LOYALTY PROGRAMS AFTER THE STATE’S CANNABIS CONTROL BOARD APPROVED NEW MARKETING REGULATIONS.  

SOME ADVOCATES WITH THE CANNABIS ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK (cany) SAID THE STATE’S CURRENT RULES AROUND MARKETING AND ADVERTISING ARE UNFAIR AND BIASED TOWARDS THE NEWLY LEGAL RETAIL CANNABIS MARKET.  
 
“We can’t do calls to action; we can’t advertise to certain platforms where we can’t guarantee the viewership would have a certain demographic watching. But at the same time if you follow the model of alcohol, you can turn on a football game and there’s beer commercials where I know everyone in America is watching,” said Damien Cornwell, president of CANY. 
 
CORNWELL ADDed CANNABIS RETAILERS SHOULD HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS TO propagate BUSINESS SALES AS OTHER BUSINESSES LIKE ALCOHOL BRANDS DO.  
 
THE NEW RULE WOULD ALLOW BRANDS TO ESTABLISH LOYALTY PROGRAMS AND ADVERTISE TO CUSTOMERS THROUGH MEANS SUCH AS SANDWICH BOARDS, AND FLYERS. 
 
CORNWELL ALSO SAid THIS NEW RULE, IF IMPLEMENTED, COULD HELP ADDRESS SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES. 
 
“Even though some of those changes have significant targets in the retail part of the economy, they still impact the supply side because the more people sell in retail the more, they’re going to buy what’s growing on the supply side,” he said. 
 
THIS REGULATION HAS BEEN INITIALLY APPROVED BY THE CONTROL BOARD, BUT IT STILL HAS TO GO THROUGH A 60-DAY COMMENT PERIOD AND GET FINAL APPROVAL FROM THE BOARD -- BEFORE GOING INTO EFFECT.