Dive Brief:

• Following recreational legalization earlier this year, Washington State Liquor Board last week issued a detailed overview of restrictions on the advertising and marketing of marijuana in the state. 
• Marijuana ads are banned from public property like billboards and public transit, and pot-selling stores are only allowed one 1,600 square-inch sign on the outside, and it cannot use imagery of marijuana in anyway. 
• TV and radio ads aren't illegal, but marijuana advertisers could run into issues if those ads cross state lines or end up reaching children. 

Dive Insight: 

With such a complicated legal status, marijuana marketing and advertising is going to go through a painful growing process. It'll be difficult to use more conventional marketing tactics until more states legalize and public perceptions surrounding the plant change. Until then, marketers will need to be creative to find ways to capitalize on the growing cannabis market without getting into legal trouble.