Companies can't use "characters, sports persons, celebrities or images/icons appealing to minors," the social media platform said. And they can't "use minors or pregnant women as models in advertising."
Additionally, Twitter said approved companies could not make any claims about the efficacy or health benefits of cannabis products.
Twitter's marketing policy change comes three months after billionaire Elon Musk completed his purchase of the social media platform for $44 billion. It also follows last month's announcement that Google Ads will no longer ban hemp and CBD advertising in California, Colorado, and Puerto Rico.
Trulieve Cannabis Corp. announced Wednesday it would become the first multistate operator in the U.S. cannabis industry to advertise on Twitter.
"We proudly launched a multistate advertising campaign today to become the first company in the cannabis industry on Twitter," Trulieve said Wednesday. "As state-by-state cannabis regulations inform how operators can participate in the advertising space, we expect to follow in other legally approved states."
"Trulieve is very excited and encouraged by Twitter's decision to update its policies and allow cannabis companies to advertise across the platform," Gina Collins, Trulieve's chief marketing officer, said in a statement. "Having a global social media platform recognize our industry is another step forward in the normalization of cannabis in the United States."
"On behalf of Trulieve and the entire cannabis industry, thank you to Elon Musk for this historic policy change and partnership," Trulieve Chief Executive Officer Kim Rivers tweeted Wednesday.
"The opportunity to advertise on Twitter means reaching more individuals and raising more awareness of the benefits of cannabis," Rivers added. "Onward!"
“We hope that this adjustment will act as a catalyst for other social media sites to follow suit,” said Kate Lynch of Curaleaf, the largest cannabis firm in the United States.
After seeing a sales rise during the early stages of the epidemic, the cannabis sector in the United States began to stall in the face of legal and economic hurdles, including lowering pricing and an underground market snatching its clients.
The company had earlier only allowed advertising for hemp-derived CBD topical products, while other social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok follow a "no cannabis advertising policy" as pot remains illegal at the federal level.
However, more states in the United States are moving towards allowing the sale of recreational cannabis, with 21 already on board. Twitter said it will permit cannabis companies to advertise, as long as they have proper license, pass through its approval process, only target jurisdictions where they are licensed to operate and most importantly, do not target people below 21 years.
"This is a pretty massive win for legal cannabis marketers," multistate cannabis and medical marijuana company Cresco Labs said.
Most pot companies were quick to embrace the changes suggested by Twitter. Trulieve Cannabis Corp already launched a multistate campaign on the platform on Wednesday.
"This change speaks to the growing acceptance of cannabis as a mainstream wellness category, and we are hopeful it will serve as a catalyst for other social media platforms to follow suit," said Kate Lynch of Curaleaf, the biggest cannabis company operating in the United States.
After enjoying a sales surge during the early stages of the pandemic, the U.S. cannabis industry showed signs of slowing in the face of regulatory and economic challenges, including falling prices and an illicit market poaching its customers.
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