10 Instagram accounts to follow for cannabis startups

Canada’s emerging cannabis industry provides a fertile landscape for startups and innovators to sow their seeds and grow to greatness.

Even the great need a break from time-to-time, and so enters social media. Mindless scrolling can be a necessary (and sometimes overly consuming) distraction, but it can also be the perfect source of #dailyinspo when a little motivation is needed.

Check out these 10 must-follow Instagram accounts for any budding entrepreneurs

  • NICHE The National Institute of Cannabis Health and Education is a not-for-profit organization that is helping drive the cannabis conversation by providing impartial and evidence-based research about cannabis production and use in Canada.

Take a scroll through their feed to find out about community events and soundbites of cannabis-related news.

Bonus: NICHE recently announced Dr. Jenna Valleriani as their new CEO, succeeding Barinder Rasode who is the co-founder and CEO of Grow Tech Labs.

  • Business of Cannabis If cannabis is your business, this is a great account to follow. Keep up-to-date on news, analysis, and insights into the industry. A quick scroll through the BoC feed will hit you with trending headlines, need-to-knows, jobs of the week (not that you’re looking, but it’s good to know what the industry is demanding), and even a bit of humour.

Be sure to check out their daily podcast “The 4:19” to find out what’s new with top  industry experts.

  • Adcann Health Canada’s heavily restricted marketing regulations leave much to be desired but there is still space to colour within the lines.

Adcann showcases top creative advertising and marketing efforts in the cannabis industry. This is great thread to scroll through for inspiration on which brands and agencies are doing it right, helpful quotes related to cannabis advertising, and news updates pertaining to the sector

 
 
 
 
 
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The unfortunate truth about marketing in the Canadian cannabis industry. Terry Booth, CEO of Aurora, took the stage at MJBizCon in Vegas this week and dropped a few controversial statements. He spoke about how Aurora has changed their branding and advertising strategy since legalization. This past summer, Aurora hosted the “Illumination Series”, which was a nationwide series of concerts sponsored by the brand. Under The Cannabis Act, recreational cannabis brands cannot promote their products or associate cannabis with any sort of lifestyle. For this reason, LPs like Aurora have ceased sponsorships and are now relying on the brand awareness generated in the months leading up to Oct 17. There could be serious consequences for those who knowingly violate these new marketing regulations, and could even result in executives going “off to f-cking jail” for illegally promoting a narcotic. There are still many ways that cannabis companies can raise awareness and differentiate themselves from competitors. At AdCann we’re determined to keep you up-to-date with the best compliant strategies and examples. ?? ?

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  • Startup Grind  Described as “the world’s largest startup community”, Startup Grind is a great resource of information for up-and-coming entrepreneurs. While the company isn’t specific to the cannabis industry, it emparts nuggets of wisdom that any professional can benefit from.

  • Van der Pop Van der Pop is a female-focused cannabis brand. A scroll through the feed is not only eye-catching but full of wisdom and consumer-centric facts.

Van der Pop is a success story of an online brand that built a major presence and was acquired by Tokyo Smoke. Founder April Pride saw a gap in the market and created something meaningful for sophisticated consumers with a feminine aesthetic.

  • Green Entrepreneur A spin-off of Entrepreneur, Green Entrepreneur focuses on cannabis business. Check out their feed for the latest articles, industry leader profiles, and a snapshot of current events. It can be helpful to see the challenge and triumphs of other entrepreneurs, particularly in the cannabis realm.

As this industry continues to grow, it’s important to know what’s working and what isn’t, as well as what’s saturated and what’s missing.  

  • Sangha Collective  This BC-based, female-led cannabis community is celebrating the unifying nature of the plant by supporting the cannabis industry through business, education, and engagement services.

Their feed offers the right amount of calm colours, splashed with quotes that provide timely and relevant messages to get you through the hustle and grind.

  • Harvard Business Review  Regardless of what business you’re in, HBR drops some serious truths that any company can benefit from.

Their feed is populated with management tips, informational charts, interesting artwork, and links to articles if you’re looking for a deeper dive.

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When employees feel free to be themselves at work — when they don’t think they have to hide their religion or sexual orientation, for example — they’re much more likely to be happy in their jobs. One way to encourage this kind of openness is to build an inclusive culture, which starts with knowing who your employees truly are. Conducting an employee engagement survey can be an effective way to find out. Segment the data you collect by criteria — such as gender, ethnicity, and age — to help you identify and address issues among different groups of employees. Focus groups are another way to gain insight. They are best facilitated by a third party so that employees can speak freely. The most powerful way to learn about your employees, however, is one-on-one discussions. For these conversations to be effective, you need to have an open door policy and a “tell me anything” persona. Being honest about your thoughts and feelings will build trust and show people that you’re human, too. Adapted from “To Retain Employees, Focus on Inclusion — Not Just Diversity,” by Karen Brown.

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  • Emmarunsvan Emma is a Grow Tech Labs mentor specializing in all things marketing, particularly for emerging brands. As a nutritionist, educator, and innovator, Emma’s feed is flooded with tips on health, wellness, and industry, often with a cannabis twist.

Follow Emma’s stories to learn about creating a cannabis ritual, incorporating cannabis into a fitness routine, and navigating the regulations for cannabis marketing.

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At face value, if you’re health conscious, you probably prefer the idea of ingesting your cannabis rather than inhaling it. BUT don’t write-off inhalation yet, because if you’re seeking rapid action (efficacy), it can deliver the fastest onset time. (also I bet medical cannabis inhalers produced at commercial scale are only a matter of time ??). • Yet, if because of circumstance, or preference, or desired outcome, edibles are for you – there’s a lot more legal options in Canada available everyday ??. The true roll out of edibles isn’t until late Fall 2019 (and new product approval takes time, so even then be patient). In the meantime I’m happy to get creative in the kitchen, mastering the “Art and Science of Home Infusions” and teaching an Infusions Workshop this Feb with @tantaluslabs x @juicetruck x @levo_oil, now SOLD OUT. Stay tuned for more dates & deets! [? @ineeeda for EmmaJaneAndrews.com] #infusions #edibles #yvrevents #canadiancannabis #cannabiscanada #drinkup

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  • Grow Tech Labs How about a little self-love? If you haven’t given them a follow, check out their account to learn about the goings-on of the cannabis business accelerator.

Grow Tech Labs provides you with updates on its cohorts, advice from its mentors, and reminders about their community events. Grow Tech Labs is all about #cultivatinginnovation and collaborating and connecting with entrepreneurs who have the heart and the hustle to help build this industry.

Bonus accounts:

  • Nugshots If you’re working in the cannabis industry, hopefully you have a love and appreciation of the plant. Take some time to scroll through this feed and get up close and personal with the leafy green goodness.
  • Verp Media If laughter is the best medicine, then Verp Media is medicinal cannabis at its finest. Grab a daily dose of cultivated memes that take a satirical jab at Canada’s legal cannabis industry.
  • Matchstick Marijuana A content creator and cannabis aficionado, Matchstick Marijuana covers everything related to the industry. This is a great account to follow to check out industry leaders, emerging brands, and get an unbiased breakdown of cannabis in Canada.
  • Little Earthlings This account isn’t cannabis-related but it offers gentle reminders of self-care that we can all use, entrepreneurs or otherwise.

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