What Cannabis Marketing Association does

Cannabis Marketing Association (CMA) is a Denver, Colorado-based membership trade association founded in 2016 by Lisa Buffo to serve cannabis marketing professionals who face unique constraints including restrictions on paid advertising, social media platforms, and digital outlets, along with fragmented state-by-state regulations and persistent brand perception challenges. The organization operates under Stockholm Marketing LLC as its legal entity and addresses these constraints by providing industry education, community building, and codified best practices through a structured portfolio of programs. CMA is not a technology company; its proprietary features are limited to a members-only digital content network, a WordPress website, and integrations with Slack and the Gatheround virtual events platform.

CMA's product portfolio centers on Individual Membership ($225/year) and Business Membership ($1,500/year or $150/month, covering up to 7 seats) tiers, supplemented by the annual Cannabis Marketing Summit, the 'Future of Cannabis Marketing' Ted-style video series, and the 'Party Like a Marketer' podcast with 68+ episodes. Members access 25+ annual educational webinars, 10+ networking sessions, and content hub contributions, while Business Members additionally receive directory listings, podcast interview opportunities, webinar hosting privileges, host committee participation, and 2 hours of complimentary consulting with the CEO. The organization maintains 9 North American chapters providing regional event coverage and distributes through self-serve online signup, event-based acquisition, and a strategic partnership with MJBizCon.

CMA generates revenue through recurring subscription membership dues, one-time event ticket sales (with bulk discounts), and perpetual-license summit recap video purchases ($149). As of April 2024, the organization is undergoing a membership program transformation and is no longer accepting standard membership applications, signaling a material shift in its go-to-market model. The organization has no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and operates with a 1-10 person team, with social equity initiatives delivered through partnerships with Cannabis Impact Fund, Marijuana Matters, and the Minority Cannabis Business Association valued at approximately $10,000 per partner.

Name

Cannabis Marketing Association

Legal name

Stockholm Marketing LLC

Website

https://thecannabismarketingassociation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cannabis Marketing Association is a Denver-based membership trade association founded in 2016 that provides education, networking, and best practices for cannabis marketing professionals operating under restrictive advertising regulations. It serves brands, retailers, and agencies through membership tiers, an annual summit, webinars, and a podcast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership Dues: Annual subscription membership providing account access, event access for 1 person, including networking sessions, educational webinars, member portal access, and content hub contributions. Priced at $225/year for first year (reduced from $399).
2. Business Membership Dues: Annual or monthly subscription membership providing account and event access for up to 7 people, business directory listing, podcast interview opportunity, webinar hosting privileges, and 2 hours complimentary consulting with CEO. Priced at $1,500/year or $150/month (reduced from $2,500/$200).
3. Event Ticket Sales: Revenue from Cannabis Marketing Summit tickets, with bulk discounts available (10% off for 5+ tickets, 15% off for 8+ tickets). Scholarships available for those needing financial assistance.
4. Summit Recap Video Sales: Sale of recorded videos from Cannabis Marketing Summit events for those who could not attend. Priced at $149 for the 2020 Summit recap videos.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cannabis Marketing Association is a membership-based industry trade association that provides cannabis marketing professionals with education, networking, and best-practice resources. It sells individual and business memberships, hosts annual summits and chapter events, produces the Party Like a Marketer podcast, and operates a members-only digital content network. The organization operates under the legal entity Stockholm Marketing LLC.

Product overview

Cannabis Marketing Association operates as a membership-based industry trade organization offering a unified platform of professional development and networking services for cannabis marketing professionals. The core product portfolio includes Individual and Business Membership tiers providing access to the Members-Only Digital Content Network (webinars, panel discussions, speaker presentations), networking events (Cannabis Marketing Summit, Future of Cannabis Marketing series), the Party Like a Marketer Podcast, CMA Content Hub blog, and the Business Member Directory. Additional offerings include the Social Equity Program for BIPOC industry participants and research publications like the annual Cannabis Marketing Survey. The organization does not offer technology/SaaS products but provides community, education, and advocacy services for cannabis marketing professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Membership Annual membership at $225/year (first-year pricing, reduced from $399) providing account and event access for one person, including 10+ networking sessions, 25+ educational webinars, Members-Only Portal access, cannabis marcom professional network, content hub contributions, webinar speaking opportunities, and discounted event pricing.
• Business Membership Annual membership at $1,500/year or $150/month providing access for up to 7 people, lead generation opportunities, webinar hosting privileges, Business Member Directory listing, CMA Member Badge, podcast interview opportunity, Host Committee participation, and 2 hours complimentary CEO consulting.
• Members-Only Digital Content Network Online portal providing access to video content including recordings of monthly webinars, panel discussions, speaker presentations from 9 chapters, and a content library to enhance cannabis marketing knowledge.
• Party Like a Marketer Podcast CMA's signature podcast series featuring in-depth conversations with cannabis marketers about effective strategies for growing cannabis businesses. Distributed on Spotify and YouTube with video recordings of each episode.
• Cannabis Marketing Summit Annual premier summit bringing together cannabis marketers, industry experts, and thought leaders. Features keynote speeches, panel discussions, workshops, networking opportunities, and the Sevens Awards ceremony. Annual event with past summits in 2020, 2023, and 2024.
• Future of Cannabis Marketing Forward-thinking annual Ted-style video series exploring the future of the cannabis industry. Previous series covered 'The Sprint to 2026' focusing on U.S. election impact, cannabis rescheduling, and AI integration. Features member-selected speakers presenting 20-minute talks.
• Social Equity Program Program launched to bring equity to the cannabis industry for BIPOC entrepreneurs and professionals. Partnerships valued at approximately $10,000 providing access to CMA events, resources, and membership benefits. Partners include Cannabis Impact Fund, Marijuana Matters, and Minority Cannabis Business Association.

Quantifiable outcome

• Members report staying up to date on all trends, regulations and innovations involving marketing in the cannabis industry
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cannabis Impact FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021CMA partnered with Cannabis Impact Fund as part of its Social Equity Program to bring resources to BIPOC entrepreneurs and professionals who have historically faced disparate challenges entering the cannabis industry. The partnership value is approximately $10,000 per recipient.
• Marijuana MatterscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021CMA partnered with Marijuana Matters as part of its Social Equity Program to support BIPOC owners and professionals in the cannabis industry. The partnership provides recipients with access to CMA events, resources, and membership benefits valued at approximately $10,000.
• Minority Cannabis Business AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021CMA partnered with Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA) to support equity in the cannabis industry through its Social Equity Program. The partnership aligns with CMA's core values of inclusivity, authenticity, and sustainable growth.
• Above The Fray DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMA collaborated with Above The Fray Design to create a comprehensive white paper on building a successful marketing tech stack for the cannabis industry. The guide addresses simplifying workflows, navigating regulatory restrictions, and selecting optimal tools.
• Cannabis Doing GoodminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCMA partners with Cannabis Doing Good for co-hosted events including holiday mixers. Cannabis Doing Good focuses on social impact and helping cannabis businesses position themselves as valuable community assets.
• The TOKE AgencyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCMA collaborated with The TOKE Agency for a webinar on leveraging loyalty programs for dispensary success. The partnership provides educational content on consumer retention and brand psychology.
• Marijuana Business Daily (MJBizDaily)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCMA partnered with Marijuana Business Daily for the inaugural Cannabis Marketing Summit in 2020. Chris Walsh, CEO of Marijuana Business Daily, provided opening remarks at the summit.
• MJBizConminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCMA is a partner of MJBizCon, the largest cannabis business conference. CMA promotes the event to members with a 10% discount code (MIPMCMA10) and provides promotional support.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Weedmaps: Weedmaps is a leading cannabis marketplace and SaaS platform connecting consumers, dispensaries, and brands. It overlaps with CMA's audience (cannabis retailers, brands, and marketing teams) and competes indirectly for cannabis marketing education and tooling budget.
• Leafly: Leafly is a major cannabis discovery and media platform serving consumers, retailers, and brands. While Leafly operates at much larger scale and across the full cannabis value chain, it competes for the same cannabis brand marketing and education mindshare that CMA serves.

Direct peers

• Marijuana Matters: Marijuana Matters is a nonprofit cannabis industry organization providing resources and support to operators and entrepreneurs. It is a named Social Equity Program partner of CMA and operates with a similar community-oriented, member-supported model in the cannabis space.
• National Cannabis Roundtable (NCR): NCR is a national cannabis industry association focused on policy advocacy and federal reform. It shares CMA's member-based association model and serves many of the same cannabis operators, but with a policy/lobbying emphasis rather than marketing education.
• Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA): MCBA is a cannabis trade association advancing equity and inclusion for BIPOC entrepreneurs and professionals in the industry. MCBA is a formal Social Equity Program partner of CMA and serves an overlapping member base of cannabis brand owners and professionals.
• Cannabis Doing Good: Cannabis Doing Good is a cannabis social-impact organization that co-hosts events with CMA, including holiday mixers. Both organizations focus on community-building and education among cannabis industry stakeholders, with overlapping audiences and event formats.
• National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA): NCIA is the largest US trade association for the legal cannabis industry, running member events, policy advocacy, and educational programming. Like CMA, it operates a membership model serving cannabis businesses, but NCIA covers the full cannabis value chain rather than focusing specifically on marketing.
• Marijuana Business Daily (MJBizDaily) / MJBizCon: MJBizDaily produces cannabis business news, data, and the MJBizCon conference, the largest annual cannabis business event. CMA explicitly partners with MJBizCon and co-launched the inaugural Cannabis Marketing Summit with MJBizDaily, making it a close peer in cannabis business community-building and events.

Others

• The TOKE Agency: The TOKE Agency is a cannabis-specialized marketing agency that has partnered with CMA on webinars about dispensary loyalty programs. It is comparable as a cannabis marketing ecosystem participant serving dispensary and brand clients, though it operates as a service provider rather than an association.
• NORML: NORML is a long-standing cannabis policy reform organization focused on legalization advocacy. It is adjacent rather than directly comparable to CMA, since NORML is a policy/advocacy entity and CMA is a marketing-focused trade association, but both operate as cannabis community organizations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/cannamarketing
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWKuNfCdbh2tL893WouzGmQ/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/CannaMarketingAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cannabis-marketing-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/cannamarketing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cannabis Marketing Association