Washington Cannabis Institute | I 502 Training for Washington
Advertsing FAQ for I502 License Holders

Signage:

Can I have a window style open sign with a marijuana leaf on it? No. RCW 69.50.357 specifically limits marijuana retailers to one 1,600 square inch sign and prohibits displaying usable marijuana and/or marijuana infused products to the public.

What restrictions will you have regarding painting on a building? For instance, can the paint scheme include a picture of a marijuana leaf? Painting a leaf, pipe, etc. on the building would be a violation of RCW 69.50.357.

Retailers are limited to one 1,600 square inch sign bearing their business/trade name. Does this include sandwich board signs that are used to advertise specials and events, often in the entrance of the property or on the sidewalk median? A sandwich board would be permissible as long as it was located on the sidewalk and not located on the premises. Any sandwich board would not be allowed to display marijuana and/or marijuana infused products and need to comply with city/county code.

Can I use the window front area of the glass to display an image of a flowering plant or a graphic of a chemical composition of the plant? No. RCW 69.50.357 specifically limits marijuana retailers to one 1,600 square inch sign and prohibits displaying usable marijuana and/or marijuana infused products to the public.

Can a retailer use the window front area of the glass to announce an adult only event or sponsored charity? No. RCW 69.50.357 specifically limits marijuana retailers to one 1,600 square inch sign and prohibits displaying usable marijuana and/or marijuana infused products to the public.

Can a retailer use the window front area of the glass to design an appealing message in graphic design or a company tag line? No. RCW 69.50.357 specifically limits marijuana retailers to one 1,600 square inch sign and prohibits displaying usable marijuana and/or marijuana infused products to the public.
Does the main window area of the shop have to be one solid color (or masking film) if a 502 retailer company sign is displayed elsewhere? There is no requirement to mask or cover the windows with film; however retailers cannot display products that are visible to the public which may necessitate obscuring the windows of a building. There is a limit of 1,600 square inches for a retail store sign. Can the 1,600 square inch
sign be printed on both sides? Retailers are limited to one sign bearing the business tradename. There is no provision for double-sided signs which would constitute two signs.

Can my property owner place advertising on their reader board? In other words, sign on my business AND sign on strip mall reader-board at edge of parking lot? Yes. This would be permissible if the second sign would not be located on the premises.
The frame of the sign is larger than the 1,600 sq. inches allowed by the LCB. If I were to place a heavy black border on the sign or the frame of the sign is there any way to use the existing sign and still be with in LCB’s guidelines? Placing a border around the 1,600 square inch sign to make it fit would be allowable. Check with your enforcement officer for additional guidance.

Can the outside signage not show the company name (non-cannabis image) but the logo, hours open website address on exterior windows by front door? No. Signs must display the business and/or trade name. RCW 69.50.357 specifically limits marijuana retailers to one 1,600 square inch sign and prohibits displaying usable marijuana and/or marijuana infused products to the public.

Can the licensee in addition to his allowed 1,600 inch sign a place a large sign over the entrance to his retail shop that states “21 and over” or other relevant text? Under WAC 314-55-155, the board limits each retail licensed premises to one sign identifying the retail outlet by the licensee’s business name or trade name that is affixed or hanging in the windows or on the outside of the premises that is visible to the general public from the public right of way. The size of the sign is limited to sixteen hundred square inches. WAC 314-55-086 also requires signs containing the following language conspicuously posted at each entry to the premises: “Persons under twenty-one years of age not permitted on these premises.”

Events:

Will we as producer/ processor be able to enter cannabis cup or attend hemp fest type activities? You would not be able to directly enter your product into a cannabis cup. As a licensed producer/processor your product can only be sold to another licensed entity and to gift/donate it is not allowed. There is nothing that would preclude you from attending a Hempfest type activity however you would not be allowed to have product on hand. Under I-502 can we develop these types of yearly events our own? You could organize these types of events but the conditions addressed in the above question would apply.

Can I have an informational booth at festivals like Hempfest or the Cannabis Cup? Yes an informational booth is allowable but be mindful of the restrictions on advertising that are detailed in the Advertising FAQ part 1.

May I market my business at trade events and fairs? Yes. Many licensees already frequently attend trade events and fairs.

Are we allowed to set up a booth at a venue, for example Hemp Fest, with a company logo on it? Can we hand out product information at our booth? Does the handout info on our products have to have disclaimers on everything? Yes, you may have a booth at Hemp Fest type activities and hand out product information. Yes the informational handouts must contain the disclaimers mandated in WAC 314-55-155.

Can we (licensed producer) sponsor a forum for local growers and retailers in eastern Washington? Yes.

Can we throw a private 21+ event? Yes but the licensee cannot have/provide marijuana at the event.

Can we throw an event with an alcohol / alcohol company as a sponsor? Alcohol companies are not allowed to sponsor events. These companies can only donate product to holders of a special occasion license.

Can I offer growing workshops at my production/processing facility? Yes, as long as the requirements for documenting/logging visitors are followed.

Can I offer growing workshops online? Yes.

Can we use our branding to attend College Career Fairs to solicit graduating students as employees? You may not attend career fairs held on community colleges and/or universities, premises due to a significant portion of that demographic being under the age of 21. Further, WAC 314-55-155 subsection (3)(c) prohibits licensees from advertising “on or in a publicly-owned or operated property.” We plan on having an open house for retailers to attend to meet our growers and product. When they attend our open house, are we able to provide them food and beverages (BBQ, taco truck, etc.)? Yes, you would be able to provide food and beverage.

Sponsorships: The below language covers all sponsorship-related questions.

Sponsorships are not specifically prohibited, except that sponsorships and sponsorship activity may not violate the advertising prohibitions found in WAC 314-55-155.

Marijuana advertising may not contain any statement, or illustration that is designed in any manner that would be especially appealing to children or other persons under the age of 21.

No licensed marijuana producers, processor, or retailer shall place or maintain, or cause to be placed or maintained, an advertisement of marijuana, useable marijuana, or a marijuana-infused product in any form or through any medium whatsoever: Within 1,000 feet of the perimeter of a school ground, playground, recreation center or facility, child care center or facility, public park, library, or game arcade of which admission is not restricted to persons age 21 or older; or On, or in a publicly-owned or operated property.

Can retailers sell gift certificates online? Either on their websites or on third-party websites like nearbyregistry.com. No. Under the law licensed retailers are only allowed to conduct sales on their licensed premises and only allowed to sell marijuana, marijuana infused products, marijuana concentrates, marijuana extracts and paraphernalia.

Can a customer place an order via the retailer’s website to reserve it for pickup (with no online sale, just the order reserve)? No. Delivery, distribution, and sale must take place on the premises of the retail outlet to be legal under RCW 69.50.360.

Can a retailer’s logo be on the store’s windows or window coverings (not on a sign)? No. The law and WAC 314-55-155 limits retail businesses building signage to one sign identifying the retail outlet by the licensee’s business name or trade name that is affixed or hanging in the windows or on the outside of the premises that is visible to the general public from the public right of way. There are no provisions for additional signage such as logo window coverings.

What constitutes a “flyer” that can be placed in a bag? Can it be in the form of a postcard (that can be mailed)? Or can it have a sticky back (like a sticker)? Both of those would be permissible as long as they meet the criteria for advertisements set out in the previous FAQs.

Is there a way to educate customers on “benefits” or effects of marijuana without “making [medical] claims” that would violate the rules? You can talk about the effects of the product without linking them to medicinal claims. Example: Uplifted, happy, energetic, creative, focused, etc.

Can a separate, non-licensed LLC offer free branded merchandise? Please see our previous advertisement FAQ.

Can glass providers and marijuana retailers enter into a consignment agreement for paraphernalia? Yes. As long as the glass provider is not taking a percentage of the marijuana sales, does not receive a portion of the business (ownership) and has no influence over the running of the business, they can sell on consignment, or receive part down on putting the glass in the shop and the remainder on sale. It’s recommended that both parties have a solid contract written up, so if questions arise both the supplier and the retailer have documentation to show it is simply a sales transaction.

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